On this episode of The Playbook, host Ian Book sits down with Henry, Danny, and Sammy Nelson — three brothers who share one thing almost no Division I roster can claim: the same locker room, the same season, the same last name on the back of the jersey. Danny, a second-round NHL draft pick, turned down a shot at a pro contract and a playoff run just to spend one more year skating alongside his brothers. Sammy, the youngest, reclassified to arrive a year early and make it happen.

The brothers get into what it actually took to make this season real, the very different NIL landscape hockey players navigate compared to football and basketball, and what it means to build a brand as three guys sharing one legacy. They also open up on family dynamics, the Minnesota hockey roots that nearly pulled them elsewhere, and why continuity and brotherhood still define what makes Notre Dame hockey different.

It's a conversation about sacrifice, timing, and what it's actually worth to share a jersey with your own blood.

🎙️ The Playbook is a Rally Original Podcast, distributed by iHeartPodcasts.

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On this episode of The Playbook, host Ian Book sits down with Notre Dame's Shawn Lyght, who this year became the first defenseman in the history of college lacrosse to win the Tewaaraton Award. Shawn breaks down what it took to become the game's ultimate "eraser," consistently shutting down the nation's best attackmen while anchoring a Notre Dame defense that helped carry the Irish to the national championship game.

He gets into the mentality behind covering elite offensive talent night after night, what it means to be only the second player in Notre Dame program history to win the award, and how he's approaching life as one of college lacrosse's most decorated and recognizable names in the NIL era.

It's a conversation about defense, discipline, and defining a new era for a position that's never had this kind of spotlight before.

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College athletics has changed forever—and the role of the general manager is changing with it. In this episode of The PlayBook, Ian Book sits down with Notre Dame Football GM Mike Martin and Men's & Women's Basketball GM Pat Garrity to discuss how NIL, the transfer portal, and athlete compensation are reshaping recruiting, roster building, and player development. They explain how Rally helps create meaningful opportunities for student-athletes while preserving Notre Dame's commitment to academics, leadership, and long-term success. From salary-cap strategy and recruiting battles to financial literacy and preparing athletes for life after sports, this is an inside look at the future of college athletics.

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Cole Kmet. Julian Love. Ian Book. Three Notre Dame teammates. One question will always linger: what if NIL existed when they played at ND?

Cole was a Mackey watch-list tight end. Julian was a Thorpe Award finalist. Ian went to a Super Bowl. They all left South Bend just before the money changed everything.

Now they're back together — talking about the program that made them, the era they missed, and what they'd tell the next wave of Irish players walking through the door. Oh, and if ketchup belongs on a bratwurst ... sorry Cole.

The Last Class Before NIL.

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