Marcus Freeman’s career bridges two drastically different eras of college football. He was in Columbus when selling team merchandise for discounted tattoos cost Jim Tressel his job. Fast-forward to today, and Freeman is managing a sport governed by NIL money, court injunctions, and coaches like Lane Kiffin actively recruiting released NFL players straight into their locker rooms.
Speaking with Rich Eisen, Marcus Freeman was asked if he ever looks back at Ohio State’s 2010 Tattoo-Gate scandal and wonders how different the sport is now. He does.
“Yeah. I mean, I do sometimes think back to it,” the Notre Dame head coach said via ESPN College Football.
There was one part of the episode that still sticks with him and that’s what happened to the then-head coach. Marcus Freeman played LB at Ohio State from 2004 through 2008 before returning to the program as a graduate assistant in 2010. He said Jim Tressel was a “great person” and clearly still struggles with how the coach was portrayed during the scandal.
“For him to maybe be portrayed in a way that wasn’t a good person and to lose his job,” he said, is something he remembers. “I know Jim Tressle and I know the leader and person he is. And the things that happened, that if that were to happen now is nothing, right? It’s wow.”
Back in 2010, the sport was rocked when five Ohio State stars, most notably star quarterback Terrelle Pryor, were caught trading signed jerseys, championship rings, and equipment for cash and discounted ink. Tressel was aware of the violations months before they went public, but chose to keep quiet and signed compliance documents claiming no knowledge of any wrongdoing.
The NCAA’s retribution was swift and severe. Ohio State was forced to vacate all 12 wins from its 2010 season, hand over its Sugar Bowl trophy, absorb a post-season bowl ban, and lose precious scholarships. Caught in the eye of the storm, Tressel resigned in disgrace by May 2011, a harsh end for a legendary coach over violations that would barely register a blip today.
Freeman has always maintained he had no part in the tattoo drama, a point he reiterated during an April appearance on Taylor Lewan’s podcast. But today, the Notre Dame head coach is dealing with a college football problem that would have sounded ridiculous in 2010.
Notre Dame has taken a hard stance against bringing in players who have already signed pro contracts, aligning closely with the Big Ten and SEC. With classes underway, fall camp completed, and student-athletes already battling for depth-chart spots, Freeman argues that dropping an ex-NFL player into that environment threatens both team cohesion and competitive fairness.
“We don’t want to put these young people in jeopardy,” he said. “It’s not easy and it’s not right… I don’t think that’s great for college football to be able to do that.”
That conservative philosophy puts Freeman directly at odds with LSU head coach Lane Kiffin, who has sprinted in the exact opposite direction. Kiffin has aggressively targeted recently waived pro talent, bringing in former Cleveland Browns tight end Dae’Quan Wright alongside ex-Notre Dame pass rusher Junior Tuihalamaka. He revealed that LSU’s player leadership committee fully endorsed the high-risk gamble, giving him a green light to add anyone who helps win games.
“Every one of them was emphatic about, ‘If they can help us win, bring ’em’,” he said during his press conference.
A Louisiana court has issued a temporary restraining order preventing the SEC from penalizing schools for using players added after signing professional contracts.
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