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NCAAF | Jan 10

Notre Dame Pockets $20 Million After Orange Bowl Win

Notre Dame Football Is an Independent Program so They Get to Keep Every Last Cent of Those $20M

Notre Dame Pockets $20 Million After Orange Bowl Win
Head coach Marcus Freeman of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish celebrates with his team | Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images/AFP

$20 Mill in the Bag!

These guys are just built different. This place is so special. – Marcus Freeman

The storied Notre Dame stole college football news headlines around the nation with a thrilling come-from-behind victory over Penn State in the Orange Bowl. The Irish have now made $20 million in postseason payouts, and their conference autonomy could not have come at a better time.

 

Independence Has Its Privileges

If there is one college football program in the nation that smacks of sheer Americana, it’s Notre Dame. The sepia-toned visage of legendary figures like Knute Rockne, George Gipp (win one for the Gipper), Joe Montana, and Lou Holtz are just a handful of the school’s larger-than-life heroes, all shining under its Golden Dome that greets visitors, faculty, and students alike.

Therefore, it’s no wonder why there’s a huge hype train rolling along once the Irish pulled off a 27-24 stunner against Penn State after trailing by a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter. This season’s edition has been called a team of destiny, evoking images of Rudy and the whole Notre Dame legacy enchilada. I’m here for all of it, and I hope you are too.

But here’s another fascinating aspect of Notre Dame’s postseason run. They have pocketed $20 million as they’ve advanced through the tournament by picking up $4 million for qualifying for the CFP, $4 million for reaching the quarterfinals, $6 million for reaching the semifinals, and $6 million for reaching the national championship game.

But here’s the best part. They don’t have to share their winnings with their conference because they don’t belong to no damn conference! Little Miss Independent is happily aligned with absolutely nobody, and right now, she’s all too happy to be a single gal.

Notre Dame also has a $50 million annual deal with NBC for the rights to their games, and that’s another big chunk of change they don’t have to share with any conference pimps. The Irish have taken a lot of guff for not joining a conference, but who’s laughing now?! Notre Dame football has about 70 million reasons to remain on its own, and perhaps that’s exactly how it should be.

 

Date With Destiny

In any other year, Notre Dame would have been on the outside looking in on the CFP. However, this season they expanded the postseason tournament from four teams to a dozen, which meant the Irish’s No. 7 ranking put them right in the thick of things and they were given a shot at a national title that has eluded them since 1988.

Notre Dame began by dispatching No. 10 Indiana, 27-17, before pulling a 23-10 upset over SEC powerhouse Georgia. The little “juggernaut that could” pulled a little something out of its voodoo bag and wound up rallying to claim a three-point win over the Nittany Lions on Thursday.

Now they await the winner of the Ohio State/Texas matchup, where the NCAAF betting odds are showing the Buckeyes as a 6-point favorite. But if this is indeed a team of destiny, then it really doesn’t matter who they face.

Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said after Thursday night’s semifinal victory, “These guys are just built different. This place is so special.”

“This has been a wonderful run,” Notre Dame athletic director Bevacqua said. “We have the history, the tradition, and our independence. And we feel we have the best coach in college football.”

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