9 Game Schedule Will Further Push Notre Dame From Big Ten Affiliation

S

SteveCraig

Active Member
The number one fear Notre Dame has in joining a conference (any conference) is becoming regionalized. The desire to remain independent stems from the freedom to schedule games with schools from coast to coast.

An 8 game Big Ten schedule would still leave ND with an annual series with USC as well as Navy. It would also leave two other open games to schedule schools. As it stands, this is not palatable to those associated with the school. A 9 game schedule would only make this worse.

As I stated in May, the Big Ten will not coerce ND into joining by refusing to play ND (which is the theory behind a 9 game schedule--making it look to ND like games with Big Ten schools will be harder to schedule). First, the Big Ten would take a huge PR hit nationally if it bailed from contracts with ND, while other conferences kept their ND contracts. Furthermore, the 9 game schedule clearly has not impacted the Pac 10's ability to play ND: I believe 4 schools played ND last year.

Lastly, even in a 9 game schedule, Purdue and MSU will continue to desire to play ND. Michigan may very well wish to cut back on the number of games with ND, but won't entirely cancel the series. After all, Michigan fancies itself a national school, and there is no bigger national stage than ND.

Anyway, I believe Jon and Deace are completely missing the boat with the current analysis. A "flawed premise", if you will.
 
It's all political theater. Ultimately, the B10 wants ND in the conference. But Delaney is playing a masterful game of political theater. By publicly saying "future expansion talks won't include ND" and by positioning for a 9-conference game schedule; they're all warning shots being fired at ND.

I would hate to see Delaney staring at me across a poker table. We in the B10 are incredibly lucky to have Delaney as our conference commissioner.
 
Yeah I don't understand the love for Notre Dame... I know they have a storied history, but they haven't been successful in over 16 years. They are like 1-9 since '94 in bowl games. Northwestern has been better than the Irish over the same time span. I think bringing ND to the B10 at this point would only bring more scrutiny. Just my opinion.
 
Come on craig. The Big Ten wouldn't take a hit by not playing ND. Quit over blowing ND's appeal. The facts are that they are very close to losing their NBC deal. There is a lot of talk that NBC loses a ton on it and probably wont renew.
 
What Notre Dame wants to do and what they will be able to do is two different things, obviously. The advent of 9 game schedules by major conferences has more to do with limiting Notre Dame's future options than anything else to date. The bowl tie-ups is working against ND, which attractive non BCS bowl game is available when ND is not eligible for a BCS game?

Notre Dame can remain independent in football, but can it remain relevant under that plan? If Kelly is unable to turn out BCS eligible teams then ND has to reconsider its stance.
 
ND has a lot more to lose than the Big 10 if the Big 10 teams were to cut ties with nd. If the Big 10 teams decided to no longer play ND, who in the midwest would the ND play...the clowns?

ND relies on the Big 10 for 1/4 of the games yearly (again 1/4 of their games). Certainly they could schedule other BCS teams but they wouldn't be major Big 10 teams around the Chicago area and the midwest where they like to recruit heavily. Their presence in the midwest would suddenly be nonexistent against major competition.

So who would it benefit the most...the Big 10 teams. Not the little girls from south bend. So nd has much more to lose than the Big 10 if the Big 10 cuts ties, which it should. There is no reason that nd should have its cake and eat it too. Let them be independent only don't schedule them...
 
I think the Big 10 is good the way it is. 12 teams is perfect to stay legit in terms of how many teams actually play each other. We don't want the Big 10 to turn into the Big 12 where there's a cupcake NORTH division and a solid SOUTH division. The more teams we add, the less relevant the conference becomes.
 
if you think the big ten want to continue to lose to support ND.........you have the flawed premise!

9 games begins to put a strangle hold on what ND can do with big ten teams.....
 
The Big Ten won't take a big PR hit like you think if they don't schedule ND, in case you haven't noticed MSU or Purdue could go schedule a cupcake and that game will still be shown on national tv on the BTN instead of on NBC, this isn't the 80's anymore when only a handful of games were on and the tv contract ND has with NBC isn't quite as lucrative as it was even 5 years ago.
 
Let's not forget, the the PAC-12 will likely go to 9 games as well. Where does that put the USC game? Notre Dame will have to succomb to the pressure or lose out on historic rivalry's.

Joining the Big Ten will save 2 historic rivalry games, MSU and Purdue (3 if you count Michigan). This may also enable them to save the USC game with this being both teams only Out of Conference toughie year in and year out. Navy can still be scheduled every year in the non-conference. Although they are not terrible, I wouldn't put them at the same level as BCS teams.
 
hoffman22103 said:
Yeah I don't understand the love for Notre Dame... I know they have a storied history, but they haven't been successful in over 16 years. They are like 1-9 since '94 in bowl games. Northwestern has been better than the Irish over the same time span. I think bringing ND to the B10 at this point would only bring more scrutiny. Just my opinion.
Click to expand...


Notre Dame is attractive because they have a large national following and the BTN would love to add their entire athletic department. They average 85,.000 for home games. People turn their games on because they want them to win or love to watch them lose, but they are still a huge tv draw!

Delany and friends hinted that they are looking East for more expansion, what does this mean for conference divisions? If they put Penn State with Nebraska, what do they do in 2 years with a Rutgers or Pittsburg? I still think Mich and msu go west and osu and psu go east.
 
And if Boston College is one of the Eastern schools that fit our expansion it would add another Notre Dame rival to the fold.

The story with ND is not over...if the Big 10, Pac 12, Acc, and SEC all go to 16 teams then you have a 64 team tournament where the conferences each have a conference championship in Round 1, the Big 10 vs. Pac 12 in the Rose Bowl and ACC vs SEC in the Orange/Fiesta/Sugar is Round 2, and then the winners play in the Fiesta/Orange/Sugar/Rose for the Championship.

In that scenario ND (and the non-BCS teams and possibly an independent Texas) will never be eligible for a National Championship.

This is where it is all heading, in my view (and for better or worse).
 
"Let's not forget, the the PAC-12 will likely go to 9 games as well. Where does that put the USC game? Notre Dame will have to succomb to the pressure or lose out on historic rivalry's."

The Pac 10 (12) already plays a nine game schedule. Last year 4 teams from that conference (USC, Washington, Washington State, Stanford) all wanted to play Notre Dame. I think this proves the point that a 9 game conference schedule will not preclude schools from scheduling Notre Dame. Instead, an additional conference game makes it less likely that the Big Ten is palatable to Notre Dame.

Look, I'm not saying that Notre Dame does not benefit from playing Big Ten schools. There is a reason that ND schedules three (sometimes four) Big Ten schools per year. It is true that a 9 game schedule will make it less likely that Michigan plays ND annually, but Purdue and MSU would gladly keep the series alive. (Ask yourselves: if Barta could secure a home-and-home with Notre Dame, would you want the series, or would you rather boycott ND in an effort to push them toward joining the conference, knowing that this boycott may be futile?) The idea that the 9 game schedule is a "power play" against ND just doesn't make sense.
 
Last edited:
H8IAST8 said:
Let's not forget, the the PAC-12 will likely go to 9 games as well. Where does that put the USC game? Notre Dame will have to succomb to the pressure or lose out on historic rivalry's.

Joining the Big Ten will save 2 historic rivalry games, MSU and Purdue (3 if you count Michigan). This may also enable them to save the USC game with this being both teams only Out of Conference toughie year in and year out. Navy can still be scheduled every year in the non-conference. Although they are not terrible, I wouldn't put them at the same level as BCS teams.
Click to expand...

Come on man, the PAC already plays 9 conference games.
 
The 9 game big ten schedule just works out better logistically for the existing 12 teams in the big ten. It allows them to continue to play more of the rivalry games. ND has nothing to do with the decision to play 9 conference games what so ever.
 
mthawk00 said:
Come on man, the PAC already plays 9 conference games.
Click to expand...

Honest mistake, my bad! So what happens is USC, Purdue, Michigan and MSU all happen to get the same year when they only have 4 conference home games? Is Notre Dame going to be willing to play @ USC, @ Purdue @ Mich and @ MSU in the same season?
As it stands now these games are split, two at home and two on the road.
 
Who cares what ND does the Big Ten schools already make twice the revenue of ND without the new addition of Nebraska and a championship game coming. So let ND do whatever they want again who cares we do not need ND at all the Big Ten is and will always be the best conference in the nation.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Share this page

Top