Memorial Day Weekend 'Investigative' Feature: Notre Dame, Rita's Water Ice, and the Great Custard Conspiracy
247Sports
Last updated: May 25, 2026
This article explores a humorous and speculative theory linking Notre Dame's football recruiting strategy to the proximity of Rita's Water Ice locations. The author posits that the university's recruitment of players might be influenced by convenient access to Rita's shops in key recruiting states.
- Notre Dame's recruiting efforts are heavily focused on Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Florida, states that collectively host a significant portion of Rita's 603 nationwide locations. For instance, 347 Rita's are situated in these three states.
- The theory is further supported by examining the proximity of Rita's locations to the high schools of numerous Notre Dame targets. Examples include recruits at St. Peter's Prep (NJ), Don Bosco (NJ), Downingtown East (PA), Central Catholic (PA), and St. Thomas Aquinas (FL), all of whom are within a short driving distance of a Rita's.
- Even Notre Dame's general manager, Mike Martin, is cited as having easy access to Rita's from his hometown and previous professional affiliations, suggesting a potential personal preference influencing recruitment strategy.
- The article also notes Rita's presence in other important recruiting states for Notre Dame, such as Ohio, Texas, North Carolina, Michigan, and Connecticut.
- While acknowledging that correlation does not equal causation, the author concludes that recruits near a Rita's might see increased interest from Notre Dame coaches.
