Report: Several Notre Dame programs could be facing budget cuts

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish may be on a verge of significant reshaping, largely due to the rising costs of the football program.

According to a recent episode of the Irish Illustrated Insider podcast, 17 Notre Dame sports programs are at risk to have their budgets cut in future years, a move that would include reductions in scholarship allocations in multiple sports. Notre Dame has not publicly confirmed the report.

Among the reported cuts, the Fighting Irish baseball program may see a reduction in scholarships to just over 10 in future years. This is almost a 10% reduction on the maximum allowed by the NCAA and is a significant drop for a program that just went to the College World Series in Omaha as recently as 2022.

According to the report, only 9 programs would be exempt from future cuts. Those programs include, football, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's hockey, men's and women's soccer, and men's and women's lacrosse. All other programs would see their budgets frozen or reduced.

The reported reductions come as Notre Dame's football program is projected to spend more than $30 million on its 2026 roster when combining revenue sharing and external NIL agreements. If those numbers are to be believed, the Irish are operating at a number pretty significantly lower than some of their direct competitors in the sport.

The trend reflects a broader perspective in college sports. Universities are focusing more resources on those sports that are considered revenue generating, primarily football and basketball.

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