Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com AUGUST 2021 9 UNDER THE DOME gram and players attractive partners for NIL deals. "When you have an iconic brand and a player can co-brand with the sixth-most iconic brand in the sport, how can that not be beneficial?" Kelly said. "How you go about do- ing it and the mechanics of that is how we'll have to guide them with what you can and can't do. But that can only be seen as a positive from that perspective." Notre Dame's June official visit weekends included discussions with recruits about its NIL approach. The program has also met individually with prospects via Zoom to give them a more personalized version with feedback on their social media pages. Both highlighted how players can grow their social media follow- ings and therein make them attrac- tive to potential NIL deals. Last summer, athlete marketing firm Opendorse estimated former Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book's potential annual earnings from so- cial media advertisements at more than $178,000. That figure would be a rarity — it was the sixth-highest estimate for any 2020 college football player — but it illustrates the earning power of social media ads. "They were actually able to give pointers to the kids, 'This is what you're doing well, this is what you're not doing well,'" said the parent of one four-star recruit who took an of- ficial visit to Notre Dame this sum- mer. "Which is different than a lot of other places that have been more about, 'This is how we can brand you,' as opposed to, 'What are you doing now?' And there was always a caveat of, 'If this is what you want.'" Notre Dame will lean into its brand power in this new landscape, but NIL won't be a program-wide obsession that overtakes its long-standing sell- ing points and goals. Kelly doesn't want it to be. Players don't either, he said — and he knows that from first- hand market research. "We polled our team in terms of what they were interested in, and there are concerns," Kelly said. "They don't want the locker room to be such an imbalance that some are making more than others. They're afraid of that. They're not interested in spending a ton of time on name, image and likeness. "They want to train, play football and enjoy their college years. It's not something they'll spend a ton of time on, but they wouldn't mind a little bit more money." Irish players have begun sign- ing deals. Several are partners with YOKE Gaming, an app started by former Notre Dame walk-on Mick Assaf that allows fans to play video games with athletes for a fee. Elsewhere, junior running back Kyren Williams has signed with an agency. The entire offensive line has secured sponsorships from Jet's Pizza and Mission BBQ, which have South Bend-area locations. Senior defensive linemen Jayson and Justin Ademilola have signed with an agent and re- portedly have agreed to a five-figure deal with Six Star Pro Nutrition, a dietary supplement brand geared to- ward athletes. All told, Notre Dame isn't chang- ing the core tenants of its recruiting pitch to revolve around NIL. The usual selling points — academic op- portunities, 40-year decisions, life after football, the chance to play on a national stage and compete for championships — will remain at the center of it. If that leads to missing on some recruits who place a larger emphasis on a school's NIL potential, Kelly is fine with that. "If you're in it for Nike gear, in it for the short, then you get what you sign up for because you're going to lose the other things that come with a place like Notre Dame," Kelly said. "If you're in it for the long, we have a name, image and likeness program. "There will be those who take it on the short, but we weren't going to get those guys anyway. We're going to focus on the guys who recognize what the brand power is at Notre Dame, and they'll understand the long of this instead of the short." On the same tune, the four-star re- cruit's parent added: "I don't think it's going to play a part in [my son's] decision-making process. I think it's just a bonus." But one Notre Dame knows it must embrace, or risk getting left behind. "We're going to take the lead on what we're hearing from our guys as well," Kelly said, "to see how we can meet those needs." ✦ Notre Dame's entire offensive line has secured sponsorships from Jet's Pizza and Mission BBQ, which have South Bend-area locations. PHOTO COURTESY JARRETT PATTERSON "WHEN YOU HAVE AN ICONIC BRAND AND A PLAYER CAN CO-BRAND WITH THE SIXTH-MOST ICONIC BRAND IN THE SPORT, HOW CAN THAT NOT BE BENEFICIAL? HOW YOU GO ABOUT DOING IT AND THE MECHANICS OF THAT IS HOW WE'LL HAVE TO GUIDE THEM WITH WHAT YOU CAN AND CAN'T DO. BUT THAT CAN ONLY BE SEEN AS A POSITIVE FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE." KELLY