Is Notre Dame’s cherished independence now its greatest liability? After missing out on the playoffs, questions started looming over if this special status is actually helping them or becoming their worst enemy. Even Freeman knows the limits, but for now, Notre Dame isn’t backing down from its stance.

“I have a lot of confidence in our administration and Pete Bevacqua, our AD, that he’ll always keep us in a position to be successful, so as long as we can keep that independence, we will,” Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman said on The Joel Klatt Show . “But if there ever comes a time that we are at a disadvantage because we’re not in a conference, I’m sure he’ll make the decision along with our president.”

Well, Marcus Freeman’s desire to stay independent makes sense, as Notre Dame en

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