In the aftermath of what’s become Texas A&M’s apparently imminent departure from the Big 12 for the SEC, one of the rumors that consistently rose to the surface was Notre Dame being one of the schools under consideration to fill void created by the Aggies’ decision to bolt. In fact, late last night Chip Brown, the OrangeBloods.com writer at the forefront of expansion coverage in 2010, wrote that “[a] scenario in which the Big 12 would add three schools to get back to being a 12-team league would involve Notre Dame.”
Ever since Expansionapalooza 2010 had the Irish at various points headed to the Big Ten, we’ve been told by a source with knowledge of the school’s thinking that, barring some type of conference apocalypse — i.e. the much-discussed four 16-team “super conferences” — Notre Dame would cling to their football independence come purgatory or high water.
While far from saying “hell no, we won’t go!” to the Big 12, ND’s athletic director made it clear Monday which tack his school would prefer to take for the near future and, if possible, beyond.
“Our priority — and our clear priority — is maintaining our football independence and continuing to build our relationship with the Big East with our other sports,” Jack Swarbrick told Kirk Bohls of the Austin American-Statesman.
As Swarbrick himself intimated — “None of us have any idea what’s going on a year from now or five years from now” — the college football landscape could shift dramatically in a relatively short period of time, perhaps forcing the Irish’s hand on football independence. But, that’s the point. It will take a near-historic set of dominoes falling for the South Bend school to go all-in conference-wise; no offense to the fine folks in College Station, A&M moving to the SEC is not the shift to get the Irish to bend on independence.
Or, as our source told us Monday afternoon, “[Notre Dame] turned down the stability and the financials that come with the Big Ten; why would [Notre Dame] turn around a year later and willingly get involved in that environment?”
That said, nothing would surprise us much anymore in the money-drenched world of college football, up to and including Notre Dame shedding their football independence… at some point down the road. Just not any conference road currently under construction and/or repairs.
B1G should tell their schools not to schedule any more games with them.
Good
Despite all those Big 10/12 fans and other ‘sperts thinking, hoping, and posting in vain of how Notre Dame would join the Big 1/12, it did not make it true and this is only the latest from the ND administration, now to the media that they are independent and plan to stay that way. The ND administration has made it clear to the students and faculty, to the local community in South Bend and Mishawaka and now everyone knows.
Eventually NBC will stop throwing money at mediocrity, at which point the tune will change to “our clear priority is joining whatever conference will take us”.
Try to tell Purdue and Michigan St. they don’t need to play Notre Dame. They need ND to sell out their stadiums.
As usual the Irish need no one. TV every Saturday, great recruiting. ……. Crappy teams!
no way ND goes to the big 12…if anything they go to the big10…just too much history there
Try to tell Purdue and Michigan St. they don’t need to play Notre Dame. They need ND to sell out their stadiums.
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Yes even though spartan stadium has been in the top 20 in attendance consistently…if anything ND needs sparty and other schools to play them considering how irrelevant they have become in CFB
If ND is irrelvant then why do i see so many haters on posts like this? Case closed fool
This is a non story. Why would ND pass on the Big 10 to take an invite from the ticking time bomb that is the Big 12
Actually if you think the B10 gravy train is gonna continue ND fans your wrong. Fact is the conference is going to 9 conference games here soon and has already made comments about a future where B10 teams play only B10 teams if they were to expand out to 16 teams. No more scUM, Sparty or Purdue. YOu can keep filling your schedule with Navy, Air Force and Army and with no B10 teams, Coast Guard, National Guard and Boy Scouts have open dates for you.
Deny, deny, deny until the big announcement. But, why would ND want to play Baylor, Iowa State and Kansas every year? Wishful thinking on the part of Texas and Oklahoma.
Since the Irish have figured out how to manipulate their schedule in the future, they will be BcS finalist every year. “Mo Money for US we don’t share.”
I am not a hater but simply telling the truth. Hater is pemalak55 who knocks other teams down even though sparty won the B1G, and ND lost to navy….When was the last time ND won a regular season big game? Stop having homer glasses and look at it from a different perspective. Losing games to Navy, Tulsa, Pittsburgh, UConn, BC, and ‘cuse isnt going to exactly up your prestige. This aint hate, this is just what your scoreboard says
Notre Dame will give up its affiliation with the Catholic Church before they willing give independence.
I am not a hater but simply telling the truth. Hater is pemalak55 who knocks other teams down even though sparty won the B1G, and ND lost to navy….When was the last time ND won a regular season big game? Stop having homer glasses and look at it from a different perspective. Losing games to Navy, Tulsa, Pittsburgh, UConn, BC, and ‘cuse isnt going to exactly up your prestige. This aint hate, this is just what your scoreboard says
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Huge ND fan here, but you’re right, they’ve had some huge losses the past few years. Being destroyed by Navy back to back years after 50 years of dominance was terrible. Losing to Tulsa at home was hard to swallow. However, they were breaking in a new coach last year & regardless of whether you’re ND, Bama or Florida, it’s going to take a little while. After they got a grip on the system, ND had some big wins last year. They beat a ranked Utah; beat USC for the first time in years; and they knocked off a very talented Miami team in the Champs Sports Bowl. I’ll admit that USC & Miami had down years, but both games were rivalry games & ND played their best in those games. The stars don’t lie… They were a top 5 defense in the FBS in the second half last year & that translated into wins. They have a lot of returning starters this season & they will be even better. Look for ND to win 10-11 games this year & make it to a BCS bowl. They need to keep their independence because they would need to win their conference every year to make a BCS bowl whereas being an independent, they get an automatic bid with 10 wins. The mid-level teams need in the Big Ten need to play ND every year because it gives them recognition & TV revenue. MSU, Pitt & BC are lucky they get 1 game outside the ND game on national TV (mostly a crappy ESPN game). Playing ND every year guarantees them at least 1 more nationally televised game on NBC which helps with nationwide recruiting & product sales. Notre Dame, even at the worst, is a national favorite & their impact on the teams they play can never be understated.
Lol I understand MSU isnt exactly a powerhouse, but comeon no respect? And I agree Kappy, you guys will be good in a couple years. I am actually scared for 2012 since u guys are snatching up all the big recruits. so far u guys have 4 5 stars, and 7 4 stars committed for 2012, and will be very good. But i will say this Brian kelly is not a good coach. TBH he’s a jerk, as he left his team TWICE both when they needed him the most in bowl games at CMU for CIN, and at CIN for ND…I say in/after 2012, you guys will be very competitive and it will be fun rivalry again for the megaphone trophy. However if you continue to falter after 2012/2013, i think it may be time for an overhaul. Kelly reminds me a lot of richrod…would get great recruits, but just doesnt know how to win games
However, they were breaking in a new coach last year & regardless of whether you’re ND, Bama or Florida, it’s going to take a little while.
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Also I disagree with that statement. Of you have a coach who knows what he’s doing, its smooth sailing. Look at watch Jimbo Fisher has done to FSU. He completely turned around a program in a year. Granted they play in a crappy conference but he knows how to build a team, even though he constantly lost top recruits to SEC powerhouses, and in state recruits to FSU, the U, and even UCF…I think Al Goldenw as another candidate who knew how to win. If he hadnt gotten this Miami crap, I think he would have taken the U back to the top. It wouldve been a duke it all out for ACC title match between the 2 instate former powerhouses. Heck even nick saban turned around MSU for a couple years before he bolted for LSU
i meant he lost recruits to UF not FSU lol
In response to the sentiment that Brian Kelly did not make progress in his first year: The record at the end of the 2009 season before Brian Kelly took over was 6-6. The record at the end of the 2010 season after he took over was 8-5. Also, unlike the previous coaching staff, this coaching staff has been able to make the team play all four quarters. Brian Kelly has proven in the past that he knows how to win games and has proven himself to be a determining factor in a team’s success. Look at what he did with Cincinnati and look at how they have done after his departure. It should be interesting to see what he has done with ND by the end of the season. If the record at the end of 2011 is 8-5 again, I think the natives will be restless.
Not sure why “rolltide510″ is getting so many thumbs-down clicks. What he/she says is exactly true: with Notre Dame now putting nothing more than an average product on TV every Saturday, NBC will rethink their contract with ND football (they have no such contract with other ND sports obviously since they’re in the Big East for those). If I’m not mistaken, I think I read once where if Notre Dame either doesn’t win a certain percentage of their games and/or draw a certain ratings share per week/season, NBC is entitled to lower the payout to the school because advertiser rates won’t generate enough to cover the tab paid to ND. Obviously, at the end of the day it’s a business arrangement, and if one party (in this case, Notre Dame) isn’t fulfilling its obligation (winning games), then the contract gets changed or outright voided. It’s not really that complicated. NBC isn’t in that arrangement because they’re “fans”. They’re in it to make money.
Spartytime, you’re embarrassing yourself with your comments about Brian Kelly. He doesn’t know how to win games? He didnt build a championship contender from the ground up at Grand Valley State, then turn Central Michigan into a competitive program before going 12-0 at historically awful Cuncinnati? Actually, when Kelly was hired at ND, people said they liked that he won everywhere he went, but were worried about his ability to recruit (he wasn’t a great recruiter at UC). Now that he is proving an able recruiter, he doesn’t know how to win?
I could go on making similar arguments in response to almost everything that has been written here. In your attempts to bash Notre Dame you’ve only made yourselves look ridiculous. There is nothing to do about the haters other than win games, which I’m confident ND will do.
*Cincinnati. That was a typo, not an attempt at crude humor.
*Cincinnati. That was a typo, not an attempt at crude humor.
Notre Dame has a legendary history. Notre Dame has name recognition and recruiting ability from all over the country that no other school truly has. Over recent years, coaches have been disappointments. Often, they seemed unable to get the talent or most from their players. Even some play calling was questionable.
If Kelley is the one to help Notre Dame back to national revelance once again, we know our family members who are ND alums and children of ND alums will be more than thrilled. Hope springs eternal and Irish fans have truly had hope each new season.
There is hope again this season with at least some reason to expect better things this year. We wish Notre Dame and their legions of fans the best of success. American college football is so much richer when Notre Dame is a contender once again. We hold the same true for the fine folks in Michigan who so many years ago taught the Notre Dame athletes how to play football. We need both of these historical and legendary teams back into national revelance and prominence again. Is this the year?
I didn’t think for minute ND would join the Big 12-2 err 3. But you at least have to ask the question. For a league who’s leadership is often rightly criticized for being too reactive I think it’s funny they get crap for being proactive for even discussing the possibility of ND internally.
College Football is better when ND is relevant. But things aren’t like they back in the day. Top recruits aren’t all that concerned about legendary history. Can I get on TV? Can I get to the NFL? Every school can recruit nationally, and almost every big time program is on TV every Saturday. These are not unique advantages to ND. Tell me, where does ND answer those questions better than most SEC schools and Texas right now?
sportsdrenched: You are right. Since our generation are SEC grads, especially LSU alums, we know of what you post.
However, some of the best athletes in our state attending Catholic High School in Baton Rouge, similar Catholic high schools in New Orleans and throughout the state. These athletes would love to attend Notre Dame and we suspect ones throughout the country would as well. They have not had trouble recruiting for the past 10 years. They have had some very good and even exceptional athletes but coaching has been an issue. Kelly is expected to keep building but this year will tell if he is on track. He did not inherit a good and successful program as Saban left Miles at LSU.
Hmmmm, nobody wants to play the Irish? So why have we picked up Oklahoma next year? Not to pick on Alabama, but I was looking at their schedule and they have, check this out, Kent State, North Texas, and Georgia Southern this year. Of course, they also have some always great games, including a renewal with Penn State, as well as Florida, Tennessee, and Auburn. So, every team has some games that are, frankly, an embarassement. Navy, well, not only did they beat us they beat a lot of other folks as well last year. Our weak sister, if I’m not mistaken, is Wake Forest. And as with Tulsa last year, no team is really a “gimmie” and if we had just kicked the field goal, well, we’d have had a differerent bowl game.
My point then, is that NBC, ABC/ESPN will continue to give television games to ND as long as they (ND) want to play them. You get to see some really exciting football games which, to a fan, is the only reason to watch. Usually there are some national title implications involved in a couple of them, or at least BCS bowl implications. The Big 10 will always schedule ND, as will Southern Cal. I wish we had a consistent game with an SEC school.
Finally, to understand why Notre Dame is independent, one should read “Shake Down the Thunder” which is a historical account of the beginning of ND football. We have our reasons.
As an Oklahoma Alumni and fan – ND belongs in the Big 10. I laughed when I first heard the Big 12 was going after them. No chance; no reason for ND to join the big 12.
If the A&M debacle (hopefully) leads to the death of the big 12 then ND may have to change their tune when the SEC and PAC-12 go to 14 or 16 teams.
@boomerdt
The Big 12 may fall apart if four 16 team mega-conferences become a reality. I’d like to see Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, ND and Missouri join the Big Ten. At this time the Big Ten would become the Big 10 using the hexadecimal numbering system. 10 in hexadecimal = 16 in decimal.
There is only one thing I dread about the start of college football – its the continuous and ridiculous attempts by sports writers and media heads to insert ND back into relevance year after year after year.
Never fails – “Insert reason why they deserve to be in the top 25 here” (great recruits, its ND, weak schedule, new coaching god and savior of ND hired, seriously, this is the year they rise to the top, blah blah blah blah) and why we’re covering them at nausea.
THEN, team does its usual and spectacular under performing face plant and lose game after game while the sports writers, fans, and media heads say its because “Insert reason why we should give them a break as to their performance” (new coach, doesn’t have his recruits in, new system, the last coach hired and immediately deemed coaching god and savior of ND was proven to be a total failure and fired and left the cupboard bare, our players graduation rates are better, whine, whine whine).
It was hilarious to watch the first twenty straight seasons – now its just plain pathetic!
I like watching Notre Dame as a BigTen fan, but I feel like karma will follow Brian Kelly. He bailed on Cincinnati when they needed him most.
Wow – they collapsed much earlier than I even thought!!! God this team is so OVERRATED – Yet again.
Exactly DK.
Notre Dame’s clear priority should be to FINALLY live up to their preseason hype.
Seriously – how long will the Alum allow this once great program to so obviously under perform?
Their endzone idol can’t score on his own… and he’s completely forgotten the victory dance.
Bring back Lou Holtz? What? When? How?
DK & polegojim: I agree. My father and uncle are in a depression. Most Notre Dame fans are. Too much hype, too little substance. Notre Dame is pressing toward beating Michigan to save their season (or the jobs of the coaches?)
It is quite puzzling how everybody in the media seems to think the world of college football is much better off with Notre Dame being relevant. Seriously?!?!? This team hasn’t been in the national hunt for 20 plus years and college football has been awesome!!! Personally, I could care less whether ND is great or horrid – it means nothing to me or college football as a whole. What I am sick and tired of is the insane amounts of over inflated media exposure this program gets year after year when they haven’t even remotely performed at a level that warrants said coverage.
Notre Dame’s ‘clear priority is maintaining football independence’
How else can you lose to five or more teams all from different conferences every year???
Tulsa, Navy, Syracuse, Michigan State, and Stanford would all be so upset.
paulbrownsrevenge: southernpatriots warned us that you could be so humorous and ironical. Your last post has both. I am sure many others will see it as well. Thanks!
Won’t let my Dad or Uncle see it though, they are still in a depression over the last game.