For a place built on tradition, Notre Dame has modernized with the times
Notre Dame is and always has been a place built on tradition, old-school values, and the prioritization of spirituality and education. While this is admirable, it does present a tricky dynamic to navigate when it comes to the modern way college football has changed.
Pay for play backdoor deals, tampering, year-to-year transferring, fat NIL contracts, and classes being an afterthought at some football factories, it's a lot, and the question of where a place that is determined to maintain its traditional mission fits into this new landscape that feels much more professional than it does collegiate is a fair one to ponder. Let's examine a couple of ways that Notre Dame is trying to thread the needle between modern college football and holding on to all that it values at the same time.When NIL became completely legal via the court system, I had questions about Notre Dame's willingness to get into this game. I feared that even if it was legal, Notre Dame would feel that paying players would send a message contrary to their value system, which values education just as much as wins on the football field. I knew the program would participate in NIL, but I feared it wouldn't have the appetite to "keep up with the Joneses" in this regard. It did take Notre Dame a few years to fully figure out how it wanted to set up and navigate the NIL landscape. Access to wealthy donors was never in question; how far the Irish were willing to go with it was. As we sit now, I couldn't be more pleased with Notre Dame's NIL setup. Notre Dame pays fair market value to its players and can compete and pay what it needs or wants to in terms of talent acquisition. Doing this is not an option; it's a requirement to run a modern program that can compete. Notre Dame has done a great job in this regard, evidenced by the retention of the 2025 players, this latest portal crop of transfers, and in signing the latest 2026 recruiting class.Notre Dame is never going to be a football factory where academics are an afterthought and all that matters is on-field results. That isn't what the school is about, and no Irish fan wants to see this path traveled down either. Notre Dame has always had to thread the needle of finding players that check two boxes, being elite on the field and elite in the classroom. When the transfer portal first became a thing, Notre Dame was only able to accept a few players into the program, and they had to be grad transfers who had already fulfilled their undergraduate class requirements. Now, as we've seen from this year's portal haul, the Irish are finding flexibility. Most of the transfers coming into Notre Dame in 2026 have multiple years of eligibility left. I credit Notre Dame for being able to improve the football team while finding ways to allow more of these undergrads a path to a Notre Dame degree after their collegiate journey had already started. Notre Dame's dedication to being a serious NIL player and finding undergraduate flexibility for players are two major signs that Notre Dame "gets it", institutionally. It knows where the sport is at, where it's heading, and how it must adjust to remain competitive. I credit all of those involved in navigating the blend of maintaining tradition and values while also keeping up with modern trends. This is a tough task Notre Dame faces, and as of now, it's succeeding.Founder and content creator of the Always Irish LLC Notre Dame Football social media, podcast, and radio show brand since 2016 covering all things Irish football daily from the fan's perspective. Previously Notre Dame Football staff writer for USA TODAY Fighting Irish Wire before joining Notre Dame On SI. Known as the “voice of the Irish fan.”
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