The question someone needs to ask ND

[JehovahShalom]

The more I think about this....the Big10 should negotiate a deal with NBC..... where they would show a select few games a year...

BTN on NBC! I don't see why we couldn't do that.... ?? no?

Maybe they could show some BB too....

 

[eyekwah]

Would Notre Dame rather join the Big Ten rather then face that possible scenario?

It may be a poor analogy, but in someways ND could end up in the same position that ISU fears, being left as an island among lessers. In reading through some threads on ND sites there are some ND fans that realize just such a scenario could play out. The argument they are making is, what good is tradition if you are on the outside looking in. Of course the resistance to change is very obvious. There is much the same mentality among B10 traditionalist.

In the end I do not think it will be Jack Swarbrick, ND AD, that makes the call to join. It will be Father Jenkins, the current President of ND. He will weigh the feelings of the faculty, what it means to the reputation of a ND degree, and of course the pros and cons of membership on the economics of the schools athletic programs.

In the end I believe ND will join the conference rather than risk what your question suggest. Why, the cons to maintaining independence are greater than the pros. The Jesuits and Father Jenkins will do what is best for Notre Dame and that is to put tradition aside and join the conference that has the same values it prizes. Let's not forget, so much of ND's tradition is already part of B10 tradition.

 

[JehovahShalom]

You're missing the whole point of being independent, they get to schedule whatever 12 games they want, not 4, not 5 but all 12 and joining the Big Ten puts an end to that if they play 7 or 8 conference games.

I don't care if they would eventually come around or not, it should be either you are in or your not, no special rules for them, the Big Ten can and will survive without ND.

Yes... but don't they already play 3 or 4 big10 games as it is? Let them only play 7 Big10 games.... isn't that enough?

It would bring a TON of money to the Big10... that is money in Iowa's pocket. I'm good with it.

 

[lumuhawk]

Anyone else get the idea this whole charade is just a ploy to further put pressure on ND to join?

I think Delaney wants to add ND and be done with it. Seriously, why else would they put out this ridiculous 'up to 48 month' study? The Big Ten and the school Presidents know exactly what is going on.

I cannot honestly believe Delaney seriously cares if Nebraska and it's 600K market for the entire state is a big draw. Rutgers I understand, IF and it's a big IF, they really do draw the NYC market. I doubt it is as much of an impact as it reported.

 

[okeefe4prez]

I cannot honestly believe Delaney seriously cares if Nebraska and it's 600K market for the entire state is a big draw. Rutgers I understand, IF and it's a big IF, they really do draw the NYC market. I doubt it is as much of an impact as it reported.

I agree on both points. Nebraska is bad academically, awful in basketball and has a relatively small fanbase because it is in a very small state. I don't see them really adding a lot to the prestige or finances of the B10. Rutgers won't pull NYC. Freaking Comcast told Delaney to buzz off for an entire year before they caved and added BTN in Chicago, and the Chicago area has hundreds of thousands of B10 alumni, many of whom hounded Comcast relentlessly. There are about 83 Rutgers fans in the City because Rutgers is a festering toilet of a school and its alums are generally janitors, tow truck drivers and toll booth collectors in Jersey who can't afford the toll to even get into the City.

 

[treychase]

Couldn't agree more with Steve.
I find it quite ironic his wolverines will be the ones that won't agree to not playing nd.
A new 10 yr contract between the two will assure nd gets the best of both worlds for the foreseeable future.

 

[lightning1]

The B10 should make a formal offer to ND when it offers whomever else, with no special clauses or deals. Take it or leave it. The B10 is much bigger than ND. Why make concessions to ND when you dont have to?
There are plenty of other programs that will jump at the chance to join.
Let ND fade into irrelevance. I dont have a problem with that and neither will most other B10 fans.

 

[83Hawk]

I have been visiting and posting on the ND site the past couple of days. The sheer arrogance of many of them is beyond belief. There is one guy that claims the Big 10 and Notre Dame have had an "understanding" for years that Notre Dame can join the Big 10 anytime they want.

There are others who think...after the expansion is over...that if ND suddenly decides they want to join the Big 10, all they have to do is snap their fingers and the Big 10 would beg them to join.

They think even after the expansion there will be no shortage of big time schools (Alabama, Texas, etc.) that will be begging to play Notre Dame.

We don't know how everything is going to shake out, but I do know this: if the Big 10 goes to 14 or even 16 teams..if other conferences either expand or dissolve...Notre Dame is going to have trouble putting together a schedule of anything but patsies (for the most part). Bigger conferences will likely mean more conference games. More conference games means fewer OOC games. Teams are not going to fill their few OOC games with "powerhouse" teams. They are going to want to schedule the directional schools and mid-majors.

Notre Dame is going to have trouble scheduling games in October and November when everybody else is in the middle of a grueling conference race. If a Big 10, Big 12, Pac-10, SEC school *is* able to schedule a non-conference game in the middle of the season....do you think they are going to schedule a Notre Dame? No...they will go for an "easier" opponent to give the team a bit of a break.

I predict if ND isn't proactive NOW....they are going to be on the outside looking in when all is said and done. Too many Irish fans overestimate the ability of ND to be able to call the shots down the road. Once the musical chairs game stops...if ND waits too long they may find there are no chairs left.