Any attempts to lure Notre Dame out of independence may have just gotten a little more difficult.
CBS Sports is reporting that Notre Dame is looking to stay as an independent player in the college football world if it can earn a minimum of $75 million in annual media rights revenue from NBC, their current broadcast partner.
Sources are telling CBS Sports that if NBC is to engage in a number like that, it is looking for “shoulder programming” from a Power Five conference in order to boost the network’s college football coverage. The Big 12 has emerged as a strong contender to help with that,
Notre Dame’s current contract with NBC, which has been the rightsholder for Notre Dame home football games since 1991, expires in 2025. The current deal averages $15 million per year, but Notre Dame is earning $22 million annually due to the backloaded nature of the contract.
