.The college football world is literally piping hot at 100 degrees Celsius. On the one hand, the NCAA rulings related to the NIL have left the industry divided. Players’ unbridled movement across the teams on very short notice, based on just a bigger paycheck, made the mix an uneven affair. It disrupts the stability and growth of teams with fewer resources. Also, it dismissed the concept of ethics, academics, and culture among the newbies; all they look for is money. Another inclusion of the modern evaluation of the CFB is the House vs. NCAA settlement that has introduced full-blown revenue sharing to college football. However, Notre Dame AD drops a bombshell that can soothe the tension among the Irish a bit.

The rule is meant to ruin the traditional scholarship cap, enabling the schools to pay directly. However, as a byproduct, it imposes a 105-roster limit on each of the FBS schools. So, what will be the future for the current players? A debate to chew over. The revision to the settlement, however, permits (not requires) schools to exempt current athletes from impending roster limits. However, the judge in charge of the case, Claudia Wilken, announced that she won’t pass the law unless and until any grandfather clause is introduced to safeguard athletes in danger of losing their roster spots. Finally, Notre Dame agreed to play the big man.

Notre Dame athletics director Pete Bevacqua told Yahoo Sports that the school will “honor the roster spot of all current athletes and permit those who were cut this year to return.” According to Ross Dellenger, this officially made them the first school to ‘grandfather in’ those who were affected or might be affected.

It will immune a flurry of walk-ons from the Irish camp who fell victim to the law. Cureently the roster limit, including summer enrollees, stands at 114. Bevacqua’s pro-action would allow nine of the 21 walk-ons to stick to the program. Freeman, the visionary head coach of the program has been a staunch supporter to have the walk-ons intact in the team. He has seen the firsthand value of the fresh faces as many of them possesses the potential of a future breakout scholarship star in the program, achieving milestones after milestones.

“I value walk-ons,” Freeman said during his Dec. 4 post signing day conference. “I’ve said that before. What the walk-on process and those guys have done for our program has been tremendous. Their contributions to this current team have been invaluable.”

Freeman and the Irish walk-ons-turned-scholarship players have long been manifesting the escape clause of the walk ons restrictions.

Marcus Freeman and the Irish put a lot of value on the walk-on tradition

The players those have been there, done that felt extremely miserable by the missed out walk on oppertunities. Special team co-ordinator Marty Biagi has lifted the walk on games with a sheer brilliance. Players like Luke Talich have earned his mettle as a scholarship. He feared that the similar success story will be distinct at Notre Dame if the rules come into action. The key component of the settlement includes allowing each school to share up to $20.5 million each year directly with their athletes and the nearly $2.8 billion in back pay for the players who have been wrongly withheld from earning name, image and likeness money.

Talich said the decision might come into the light of the NIL conundrum. But that’s not what the college football players are concerned about. Citing his own example, the athlete said it’s never been about money, nor it should be. Rather, it can distract the players and make them lose their skills and talent in a shuffle. The head coach doubled down.

“If you have to make some difficult decisions in terms of cutting your roster to 105, it’s going to be difficult. Because you care about every person in that room that has given everything they’ve got to Notre Dame,” Freeman said back in April. “But we also know that could be a possibility. We’ll wait until the settlement is finalized. I’m good with our plan.” 

However, the flexible scholarship plan and the latest grand-fathering decision as the first school in the mix might mark the Irish safe from a lot of projected aftermaths of the rule.