If it wasn't for NBC they'd be irrelevant. The exposure they've gotten over the years on network TV like that is their meal ticket. Being in a major conference now is a must. They'll have to get really really good again for them to matter in the grand scheme of things nowadays...
Right. They better get Alabama kind of good quick as each year creeps closer to being just a top 20 type team no more special than anyone else. To put it even a little more clearly, just look at Nebraska. Kids of age now have never seen Nebraska win a conference title or national title. Mostly just misc bowl games. Nothing special. Same will happen to Notre Dame. I don't care what they did 3 or 4 decades ago.