UrbanaBuff
Member
While I don't think it affects CU that much, this could have a big impact on conference realignment...
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4979435
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4979435
that would be titanic.
Could you Imagine if they pulled ND, texas, and Rutgers to that Conference?
that would be titanic.
Could you Imagine if they pulled ND, texas, and Rutgers to that Conference?
If the Big East landed Notre Dame, I could actually see them getting Boston College back from the ACC. If that happened, it would be a very strong 10-team conference. And I think you have to look at Army & Navy to make 12 (big national ratings, geographically appropriate, good for the overall academic prestige of the conference and it would make Notre Dame happy).
I'm just being nostalgic here, but I would really hate to see Notre Dame of all schools in a conference called the Atlantic Coastal Conference. Just like I would hate to see Texas in the Pacific 10. I know money rules all, but that would just be weird.
The ACC is the first school to negotiate a new TV contract. They are not as weak as everyone thinks they are.
If Notre Dame were to consider any other conference besides the Big Ten it would not be the Big East or Pac-10, it would be the ACC.
If the ACC were to jump the gun on the "super-conference" trend by snaggin Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Notre Dame, and either Rutgers or UConn they would be in a very strong position.
If the Big East landed Notre Dame, I could actually see them getting Boston College back from the ACC. If that happened, it would be a very strong 10-team conference. And I think you have to look at Army & Navy to make 12 (big national ratings, geographically appropriate, good for the overall academic prestige of the conference and it would make Notre Dame happy).
I'm not convinced ND would prefer to join an inferior conference for an easier path to the BCS. ND's supreme arrogance is what's keeping it independent. They would be swallowing pride to join a conference, so why would they go with the weaker of those two conference options? Plus, if they pull the trigger, I'm sure they want to make damn certain the conference is profitable and stable, two things that the Big East lacks. ND probably thinks it can win in any conference it joins, so why wouldn't it join the best?
I'm not so sure I'd dismiss it as not effecting CU. If the Big 10 gets Notre Dame, they may be content to stand pat at 12 teams. Which means no raid on the Big 12. Meaning CU is the only team that would potentially leave. If the Big 12 is able to stand pat without a major shakeup will the PAC 10 be able to put together a revenue package that makes it financially viable to leave the Big 12? The PAC 10 region already has some factors working against it that make it more difficult to put together a tv package that can compete with the SEC / Big 10, not the least of which is time zones. Also, if only one team goes the Big 12 can threaten to replace us with BYU, further diluting the value that the PAC 10 gets from adding Utah.
Now if the Big 10 is not going to be content with 12 even if its Notre Dame than this is going to get very interesting very quickly. For them to even be sending signals, Notre Dame must have been convinced that the Big 10 / PAC 10 were going for a major shakeup that had a chance to leave them without a seat at the dance. The Big 10 only adding one school doesn't really do that, and neither does the PAC 10 going to 12. I'm wondering if both conferences really are considering going bigger. Also, the big schools that Notre Dame usually plays each year (other than the service academies) are in the Big 10 and Pac 10. I wonder if there is more coordination going on behind the scenes then we know, i.e. an ultimatum to play ball with us or take your ball and go home...meaning no more matches with USC, Michigan, etc. Notre Dame loves the exposure they get from their position as a "national" school, but that only works if the big boys are willing to play you and give you that exposure. They're not going to get it by cobbling together a schedule of the service academies and 2nd tier schools. I don't think we'll see any of the SEC teams dying to schedule Notre Dame any time soon, so if the PAC 10 and the Big 10 threaten to cut them off it'd be a pretty serious threat.
I can easily see them taking the easy road and going for the easier conference. BCS game by beating West Virginia and Cincinnati every year, or BCS game by beating Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio State, etc every year? And no way does ND get the Big East BCS game shaft if they go undefeated like Cincy did last year.
Well, a BE move would be easy to mask. "We've been in the league for years in all other sports and just felt this was the natural next step for the school."
Well, a BE move would be easy to mask. "We've been in the league for years in all other sports and just felt this was the natural next step for the school."
If forced, I would see them do that before anything else -- even if it meant surrendering some of their rivalries -- because they could win that conference 7 out of 10 years and be in the BCS automatically. With each successive season NOT making the BCS, the Notre Dame brass look at this more and more. If the BE would allow ND to keep 75 percent of the money from a BCS bowl, I bet it happens. Especially if BC re-joined and then ND would have a traditional rival in the league and three non-con spots.
The Big East does nothing for ND, football wise. It doesn't give them any more money, it doesn't give them a better chance of success, it doesn't gain them any new recruiting areas, it doesn't provide them access to television markets they don't already have. .