Notre Dame makes decision on football independence after SEC schedule change

The decision by the SEC to add a ninth conference game to its schedule appears to have an influence on whether Notre Dame stays independent in football.

The answer to that question remains a resounding yes, as Notre Dame does not intend to join a conference and will continue to stay independent in the future, according to ESPN college football insider Heather Dinich.

The SEC’s historic move to expand its league schedule “further solidifies our independence” in football, a person at the school told said, via the report.

Going forward, the SEC will require its member schools to schedule at least one Power Four opponent from either the ACC, Big Ten, or Big 12 every season, and Notre Dame will be included among that group the conference can pick from.

Notre Dame will benefit from SEC matchups in future

Notre Dame has future games scheduled against Alabama, Texas, and Florida, and will move ahead with those matchups in the future.

Being able to schedule games against SEC opponents will be a major boost for Notre Dame to further improve its stature with the College Football Playoff selection committee going forward.

Playoff selectors place a heavy premium on perceived quality of schedule, introducing new analytics to more accurately assess opponents starting this season, and regard the SEC as the best conference to schedule games against.

Other key metrics also remain in place for Notre Dame to maintain its independence, namely its current media contracts, a home for its Olympic sports, and a credible path to the College Football Playoff every season without having to tie itself to a conference.

Notre Dame has maintained its independence

This offseason, Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua reaffirmed the school’s commitment to not join a conference and the additional financial incentives it provides the football program.

“No secret, the expansion of the CFP from four to 12 teams has helped enormously, because as an independent, as with other schools, we get better opportunities, better percentages of getting in the playoff, and the more you knock on that national championship door, the better,” he told ESPN.

“And we like the freedom, quite frankly, it gives us,” he added.

By not playing in a conference, the school has been able to cultivate a more national footprint, establishing rivalries around the country, playing in front of larger audiences, building a national fanbase, and expanding its recruiting base.

More recently, critics have warned that Notre Dame’s independence in football could be a liability when it comes to making a national championship run, given the easier path that conference champions have when it comes to playoff selection.

But the Irish wore its independence very well last season, making a run all the way to the national championship game, ultimately falling in a close contest against Ohio State.

The playoff run was also very lucrative financially, as the school earned $20 million in that time: $4 million for making the field, $4 million to advance to the quarterfinals, $6 million to reach the semifinal, and $6 million to play for the title.

That’s in addition to a total of $9 million to cover expenses during the postseason.

Starting in 2026 under the new College Football Playoff contract, Notre Dame is estimated to earn around $12.5 million per year in base revenue distribution, a figure that is comparable to what ACC and Big 12 schools make.

(ESPN)

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