Nov 22, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman celebrates with players after scoring against the Syracuse Orange during the first half at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

Following Notre Dame's perceived snub by the College Football Playoff committee, it seems the school may have to battle with the NFL to keep his head coach.

Marcus Freeman's name has come up in connection with the New York Giants' job, and he surged in the betting odds earlier this week to be the next head coach in the Big Apple. According to a report from ESPN's Adam Rittenberg, Freeman is expected to be a candidate for the Giants' job and other potential NFL openings in this cycle.

However, the Fighting Irish aren't going to let him walk easily. Per Rittenberg, Notre Dame is preparing a push to keep Freeman and make him one of the highest-paid coaches in the sport. During a press conference on Tuesday, athletics director Pete Bevacqua directly addressed the NFL speculation.

"Everybody has eyes on Marcus," Bevacqua said, per Rittenberg. "College has eyes on Marcus; NFL has eyes on Marcus. I bet Hollywood has eyes on Marcus. ... He's the absolute best coach in the country for Notre Dame, full stop, one of the greatest college coaches in the country."

Bevacqua said that Freeman's contract will be adjusted annually to ensure he remains among the highest-compensated coaches in the sport. Last December, Freeman agreed to a four-year contract extension with Notre Dame, though the terms of that new deal are not publicly known.

The Fighting Irish AD also added that it's important to make Freeman feel valued in South Bend as the program looks to keep him around long-term.

"I can say with 100% certainty he feels that way, and Notre Dame is totally aligned around the importance of college football for Notre Dame," Bevacqua said. "... I make sure that he knows that he will be where he deserves to be, and that is at the top, top, top tier of college football coaches when it comes to compensation every year."

Freeman is 43-12 in four seasons as the head coach of the Fighting Irish, with the highlight being a 14-2 season and trip to the CFP national title game last year. The 39-year-old is one of the top young coaches in the sport, and Notre Dame will hope it can fend off the NFL to keep Freeman in South Bend.

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This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: Notre Dame prepared to fight to keep Marcus Freeman amid NFL rumors

Reporting by Tyler Nettuno, College Sports Wire / College Sports Wire

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