Big Ten Expansion, And How It Doesn't Affect Notre Dame This Time Around

by CW on Dec 17, 2009 10:48 AM EST in Football Comment 12 comments

There has been a lot of talk this week about the Big Televen expanding, and the likely candidates. By doing this process now - with "now" being "the next twelve to eighteen months" - it almost certainly eliminates Notre Dame from any consideration, with the NBC contract running through the middle of the next decade. Your most likely candidates appear to be Pitt, Syracuse and Mizzou, which would all be interesting for a variety of reasons.

My question for you today, dear friends, is that if Notre Dame had to join a conference, which one would you want them to join? "WE'D NEVER JOIN A CONFERENCE" is not an answer here. Some big, bad man is holding a gun to Murphy the Golden Retriever's head and you have to sign someone's contract. You can take into account travel logistics, academics, fun road trips, who'd you want to play or whatever else. Show your work in the comments if you wish. My answer after the jump.

I would love to join the PAC-10 simply because you have a ton of great schools in football, hoops and academics (and some not so great ones; love you, Arizona State), but logistically, I just don't think it would happen. I'd be happy staying in the Big East for basketball, but football could be embarrassing, especially if Pitt jumps ship. So my first choice would probably be the Big East, but a close second would be the ACC, for a variety of reasons, not limited to:

1) Keeping some current rivalries (Boston College) and renewing some old ones (Florida State, Miami).

2) Fun road trips. Georgia Tech was a blast in 2006, and there are some reasonable drives available for students, including Blacksburg (ten hours), Charlottesville (eleven), College Park (nine) and Durham-Chapel Hill (twelve). I'd love to see the Irish playing in Death Valley some Saturday night.

3) Great, respected basketball. The only conference you wouldn't lose any respect to jumping to from Big East hoops.

4) Some fantastic academics thrown in (Duke, UVA, UNC, Wake, Boston College, Miami and Maryland are all top fifty schools, and Clemson is 61.)

Poll

If Notre Dame football had to join a conference - factoring in whatever you please - what conference would you want them to join?

Big Ten

398 votes

Big East

247 votes

Big Twelve

42 votes

ACC

61 votes

PAC-10

31 votes

SEC

49 votes

MWC

7 votes

WAC

4 votes

MAC

21 votes

C-USA

11 votes

Other

19 votes

890 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

Unfortunately

The dog gets it.

by ndfanwabashman on Dec 17, 2009 12:23 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

none of the above

I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren

by lookingdeadred on Dec 17, 2009 12:42 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Does the Missouri Valley play football?

You really should get professional help. Your obsession with ND football is not healthy. ---Dr. lookingdeadred

by averagegatsby on Dec 17, 2009 4:29 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Bit biased growing up in Indiana

and watching Indiana football flounder. It would be really nice to have another football power in the conference. Michigan sucks at this point, Ohio State can’t do it alone, and Penn State’s coach is everything but the actual coach.

A perennial power like Notre Dame would be nice, but then who would I cheer for when they play Indiana!??!

My halloween costume: the Indiana secondary iPhone- no matter how much you want to love it, you know the coverage area sucks.
-ChronicHoosier

by Taskmaster on Dec 17, 2009 10:00 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Big Ten

I think the way to look at this is most of us fans want to get to a BCS game, and if we are in a conference with an automatic bid, we can go 9-3 and still get a bid. Being independent, we have to be in the top 14, which will NEVER happen as a 9-3 team. Purely for playing ohio state on a regular basis, I’m choosing the big ten. Ohio State-ND has always struck me as one of those games that should always be on the schedule like ND-UM; it would be two traditional programs going to the other guy’s place and just beating the hell out of each other. Seems like fun to me.

"Fundamentals are a crutch for the talentless" - Kenny Powers

by Choke Cubs Choke on Dec 19, 2009 11:17 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Just a question

Notre Dame’s ABC contract is only for home games right? I mean they can’t sell the rights to a game at somebody else’s stadium. So The Big Ten could be a possibility provided Notre Dame is allowed to keep their current contract. The Big Ten would still make a killing from the games it would have the rights to, Notre Dame gets viewers, from not only its fans but those hoping to see them get killed too. Plus as you said its 12-18 months from happening so that eats up almost half of what is left of the contract. I think the Big Ten just makes the most sense, but I am a Big Ten homer so go figure.

by Lostincali on Dec 19, 2009 10:34 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Two points

1. If Kelly turns the team around and makes ND a power again, the ratings will jump and ND will make a ton of money that it won’t have to share with anyone else. ND football has nothing to gain and a lot to lose joining a conference.It is a double-edged sword though. If Kelly fails to return ND football to greatness, NBC will not renew the deal and then ND’s program could be in trouble.
2. ND’s football contract is with NBC not ABC.

I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren

by lookingdeadred on Dec 20, 2009 11:23 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Its not about money...

Notre Dame would actually make more money by joining a conference. The Big 10 will distribute more money from their bowl games and the Big 10 network than ND will make with their NBC contract.

So money is not the issue.

You really should get professional help. Your obsession with ND football is not healthy. ---Dr. lookingdeadred

by averagegatsby on Dec 20, 2009 6:54 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Sorry, as I know this doesn't pertain to the actual main post

but I would appreciate someone answering this quick question. As a relatively new ND fan (2 years or so), I obviously don’t know a great deal about many of the non-football aspects of the program. Could someone please explain firstly, what “ResLife” is, and secondly how it negatively affects ND football. Thanks

So I had to establish the rules and regulations of the game...85!

by aussie_cowboy on Dec 21, 2009 7:22 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

ResLife

It is the student disciplinary arm of the University, along with other administrative duties. They levy harsh penalties somewhat arbitrarily with little opportunity for the accused person to defend his or her self. They have been widely discussed recently for their dismissal of two ND football players within the last year for minor offenses. It is a culmination of many harsh punishments, especially against athletes, who are likely being used as high-profile examples for ResLife.

by djta on Dec 26, 2009 3:54 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs