Notre Dame football considered one of the top five most valuable programs in college football.
When it comes to college football, there isn’t a brand quite like Notre Dame. It’s the closest thing the sport has to the New York Yankees or Dallas Cowboys — a national powerhouse with history, recognition and influence that stretches far beyond the field.
And in today’s ever-evolving landscape of college athletics — one that continues to resemble the professional ranks — a program like Notre Dame only feels bigger. With players now earning substantial NIL deals and expected to soon be classified as employees through revenue sharing, the value of elite programs is skyrocketing.
That’s why Matt Baker of The Athletic recently explored a unique hypothetical: what if Power Four college football programs could be bought and sold like pro sports franchises?
“We approached the hypothetical question with a methodology that was part art, part science,” Baker wrote. “We used real-life pro transactions to gauge purchase prices relative to a team’s revenue over the past three available years of data. NFL and NBA sales guided our ratios in the SEC and Big Ten, while the MLB and NHL were our rough benchmarks in the ACC and Big 12. For each school in a Power 4 conference (plus Notre Dame), we factored in everything from prestige and championships to facility renovations, population trends and realignment scenarios. That means treating Notre Dame more like the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston College more like the Kansas City Royals.”
According to Baker’s projections, Notre Dame ranked fourth among all programs with a valuation of $1.85 billion. The Fighting Irish averaged $143 million in football revenue over the three-year sample.
“The income doesn’t reflect a jump in TV revenue thanks to the contract extension the Irish landed with NBC in 2023; it’s large enough to put Notre Dame’s paydays within striking distance of SEC/Big Ten programs,” Baker wrote. “Last year’s Playoff run helps, too — not that we need to justify the lofty price tag for a team known for putting flakes of real gold on its helmets.”
Notre Dame’s previous media deal with NBC was set to expire after the 2025 season. That agreement reportedly paid the university $25 million annually, per Pete Sampson. While the financial details of the new contract have not been disclosed, expectations are that it significantly increases the school’s media revenue.
One unique advantage Notre Dame had during its College Football Playoff run last season was its independence. Unlike schools in conferences who split postseason earnings, the Irish were able to keep the full $20 million payout for reaching the national championship game — further strengthening their already-elite financial position.
That kind of financial freedom — combined with iconic branding, national scheduling flexibility, and exclusive TV rights — makes Notre Dame one of the most powerful forces in the sport. And if the college football arms race continues trending toward a professional model, the Irish are already playing with a head start.
Category: General Sports
