The Fighting Irish have fought their way right to the finish line. Marcus Freeman and his Notre Dame outfit haven’t just fought battles on grass. They’ve fought prejudice, naysayers, and most resoundingly, convention. The norm to be a Natty contender is to be a member of a Power 4 conference. Independent Notre Dame has shown there’s more than one path to the promise land. They’re now due a reward for traversing this self-paved path.

In the lead-up to the Orange Bowl, Penn State HC James Franklin took a not-so-subtle jab at Freeman. While the comments about his hairline and age made for more virality, one indictment was made. Franklin outwardly said all schools should be in a conference. On the surface level, Franklin was merely talking about the lack of conference championship games that Notre Dame had to contend with. However, scratch below what’s conspicuous, as Franklin’s comments to Marcus Freeman were perhaps loaded with some undermining.

Whether Franklin meant it or not, it was implied that Marcus Freeman had to deal with an easier schedule. Without being in a conference, Notre Dame had more free reign to pick their fixtures. Plus, they played one less game than PSU, who were in the B1G Championship. These facets, in tandem with the comments about his age, laid the foundations for a question.

Did Marcus Freeman belong at this stage? After his team’s win, he’s thwarted that notion at least. But the external pressure arising from independence remains. Notre Dame must be thinking, ‘they hate us because they ain’t us.’ Well, being independent is filling their pockets.

CFB content creator Joe Pomp made a fascinating revelation on his namesake YouTube channel. He dissected exactly how the broadcasting money is divided among different programs. Generally, the media houses pay equally among the major conferences. Pomp relayed the figures about to kick in from the new ESPN 10-year deal. It begins the 2026/27 season. The SEC, for instance, will receive roughly $70-80 million annually. This pie is then divided equally among all members. So what about Notre Dame, with no conference mates?

Notre Dame is poised to receive as much as $79 million alone. This will be a totality of their deals with NBC, the money they get from the ACC as a partner school, and the CFP. This is seemingly an estimation based on them getting to the playoffs. If this is truly the case, Marcus Freeman can get all the hair products he pleases! But seriously, with revenue sharing around the corner, this could be a game-changer.

No wonder James Franklin doesn’t like them being independent. These are still in the future, though. Notre Dame has already seen the monetary benefit of being independent during this playoff run itself.

Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame are already reaping the rewards of independence

The two teams in the Natty have had very different routes to it. Notre Dame has been a bit more of a slow burn that the masses have warmed up to. Marcus Freeman and Co. quelled skepticism every step of the way, steadily getting better. Conversely, Ohio State was a bit more up and down. The highs were very high, and the lows were very low. Alas, they’re both here after playing 3 CFP games each.

Neither team had a bye, so they’ve played an equal amount of games to get here. Surely they’ve received an equal reward for reaching here? Not quite. The CFP pays conferences depending on how far a member makes it a round.

$20 million has been given to the Big 10 thanks to Ohio State alone, plus more for PSU and Oregon. $4 million for first making the CFP. Then an additional $4 million for making round 2, and then $6 million each for making the semis and the championship. That’s $20 million, which is divided among the 18 B1G schools. Just over a million per school was received for their personal efforts. And Notre Dame gets the entire $20 million to themselves…

It’s pretty straightforward that Notre Dame is benefiting massively from being independent. Marcus Freeman has to face the music for a decision his employers made, but that wouldn’t bother him. This money won’t all actually go into the football program. Notre Dame, the school, can use it as they please. It’s noteworthy that while ND is making significantly more than its adversaries, it won’t be like this every year.

If they have a poor season, the school may even make less money than they would’ve been in a conference. It’s a risk they’re riding along too willingly, with a coach like Marcus Freeman at the helm.