More At Stake For Notre Dame Against USC Than Meets The Eye?

Notre Dame vs. USC is about more than rivalry—it’s a battle with playoff hopes, legacy, and Marcus Freeman's possible contract extension on the line.

Nov 23, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman celebrates with quarterback Riley Leonard (13) after a touchdown during the first half against the Army Black Knights at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Year Three is a huge historically for Notre Dame coaches. Which side does Freeman fall on?

Marcus Freeman is in year three of a six-year deal as the head man in South Bend. After a rocky, up-and-down first two seasons, Notre Dame is on the brink of an 11-1 campaign and playoff appearance if it can defeat its arch-rival in LA this upcoming Saturday.

This record, regardless of how things in the CFP were to end up going, would indicate a clear and undeniable upward trajectory not only just for the Notre Dame program itself but for Freeman personally on his coaching journey as well. Which is where things get very interesting.

Marcus Freeman sings the praises of his coaching staff and team after a gritty win over Army. #GoIrish pic.twitter.com/YicNTORo3c

— Notre Dame on NBC (@NDonNBC) November 24, 2024

Is Freeman in line for an extension with a win over USC?

There were rumblings in the middle of last season that Notre Dame and Freeman's representation were speaking about a potential extension to his Irish contract that would keep him in South Bend beyond his originally slated six-year deal of which we are now in year three of.

It seems that those talks quickly fizzled out once the Clemson loss occurred last season and these discussions were deferred to a later date. I do find it quite interesting that stories about Freeman garnering NFL interest have begun to hit social media for the first time at the exact time he could be wrapping up an 11-1 regular season.

Could this be somewhat of a leverage ploy for negotiations with Notre Dame from Freeman's representation? It's certainly possible, but at this point, this is all admittedly just curious speculation.

A part of me feels like there's more on the line in LA on Saturday than just a CFP appearance for Notre Dame. There's a real possibility of this game altering what the long-term future of the Irish program will look like.

The stakes couldn't be bigger for all involved.

For more Irish news & notes follow John on Twitter @alwaysirishINC, Always Irish on Youtube and or your preferred audio podcast provider.

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