Paul Finebaum questions Notre Dame’s ongoing TV negotiations with NBC, independent status

College football radio host Paul Finebaum sent a warning shot to Notre Dame fans on Tuesday morning.

The Fighting Irish are reportedly seeking $75 million from NBC in their next television contract in order to remain independent. Negotiating such an increase in Notre Dame’s media rights package will be crucial to the program’s ability maintain independence.

However, Finebaum was on with McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning on Monday and implied Notre Dame won’t be able to get that $75 million target from NBC. The SEC host also said he doesn’t think Notre Dame can win a National Championship as an independent.

“Notre Dame, I think, is going to find out that there’s only so far they can milk NBC,” Finebaum said on the show

. “What if they get the reported $75 million from NBC? So what? They’re still an independent and they’re still not going to win a national championship as an independent.”

Because of those factors, Finebaum is predicting Notre Dame will ultimately join a conference. Earlier this summer, Notre Dame AD Jack Swarbrick said access to the College Football Playoff and its annual media rights revenue distribution

could have an impact on whether or not Notre Dame eventually joins a league. He’s also on record as saying Notre Dame doesn’t feel any “urgency” to join a conference.

“I think ultimately Notre Dame is going to bite the bullet and get into a conference,” Finebaum added. “But it’s just going to take time. There’s nobody out there, other than maybe Swarbrick, who probably knows when that is.”

Big Ten and SEC programs are expected to net north of $100 million in annual media rights distributions at some point in the coming years. Notre Dame’s current TV contract is worth an average of $15 million per season.

Notre Dame’s exclusive TV deal with NBC expires in 2025.