The Fighting Irish stay fightin’. Notre Dame turned a lot of heads and even more expectations with their win over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. The tragic affairs in New Orleans made for a sombre backdrop to the game. However, Marcus Freeman and the Irish put in a showing that may have alleviated some stress off the city. The win didn’t just earn them a spot in the CFP semifinals, but a lot more.

All 4 teams that won the quarterfinals were carrying the baton for their respective conferences. As per the stipulations in place, the conferences of each winner were awarded a payout of $14 million. This gaudy figure is then distributed across the conference to each member. This is where Notre Dame being independent has brought them a massive payday, and potential advantage on the NIL and recruitment front.

Since Notre Dame aren’t in a conference, the entirety of the $14 million was raked in by them alone. YouTuber “CFB TINGZ”, who relayed this information, stated how, on a surface level, this seems like a massive edge over the competition. For instance, Notre Dame are set to lose QB1 Riley Leonard at the end of this season. These newfound riches could go a long way in securing his successor via the transfer portal. However, the football program can’t quite reap the rewards of their proverbial labour.

In a post on X, Notre Dame insider Tyler Horka wrote, “Notre Dame will never be a program that takes in a dozen or more transfers in one year. Strict admissions standards won’t allow it.” A prestigious school before a prestigious CFB program, the barrier to entry of getting into class means it’s not viable for Marcus Freeman and co. to make grand escapades through the transfer portal. The catholic aspects of the university are also a factor in why ND are restricted in their activity.

Riley Leonard himself is a specimen of this. He came over to Notre Dame via the portal before the start of the season. His previous disposition was at Duke, another school with academic prowess that has strict admission standards. It’s been reliably reported that Notre Dame shall not pursue another QB transfer. This creates a bit of a conundrum for coach Freeman. Will his team’s progression be hindered by the school they represent?

Marcus Freeman and the program perhaps forced into moving backwards

By all accords, this season has been a roaring success for the Fighting Irish. That massive upset against Northern Illinois was indeed program-defying but in a good way. The growing pains from that loss served as a lesson that has propelled Marcus Freeman and his troops to the final 4. He’ll have one eye on the rather morbid reality that faces him in a fortnight or so.

Riley Leonard only came to South Bend this season, so he expectantly had an adjustment period at the outset. In his first 3 games with ND, Leonard threw zero TDs. Fast-forward to his most recent 4 outings, and he’s thrown 8. His QBR has also soared from the 60s in that initial stretch to over 106 for the last 4 games. This is a program that’s trending skywards now. Losing their QB without, at least perceivably, replacing him casts concern over their future. The last two starting quarterbacks at Notre Dame have both been portal incomings.

Earlier in the portal window, it was almost a foregone conclusion that Marcus Freeman would pursue a QB1 through the portal. Despite the influx of money, they’re not doing so. It’s difficult to discern how much of this stems from the aforementioned “admission standards”. If that is indeed a factor, it’s a bit of a letdown that one of the best teams in CFB will be forced to take a backward step. The $14 million may well go into more pressing matters at the university. However, it doesn’t seem like the breadwinners themselves will directly benefit.