Notre Dame’s new deal with NBC would allow Irish to remain independent

By Jerry Ratcliffe

According to a report by CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd, Notre Dame is working on a deal to remain independent in conjunction with a new media-rights package with NBC worth $75 million annually.

Notre Dame’s current deal, which pays the Irish $15 million a year, will expire in 2025. Should the new deal come through, it would end speculation that the Irish would consider jumping to the Big Ten, which is negotiating a new deal with Fox Sports that would pay each member an estimated $80 million to $100 million annually.

The Irish prefer to remain independent, and according to its contract with the ACC, of which Notre Dame is a partial member (all sports except football), should the school decide to join a conference in football, it is legally obligated to join the ACC.