Is Notre Dame coming to Dallas? Yes, but against who?

by **HFvictory** » Tue May 16, 2006 11:08 am

White: Notre Dame returning to Rockne barnstorming eraTOM COYNE
Associated Press
SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Notre Dame's decision to schedule a game each season at neutral sites starting in 2009 is an attempt to return the school to its independent roots, athletic director Kevin White said Tuesday.

White said the goal is to travel to different parts of the country and ensure that the only school with a national television contract remains a nationwide school. He said it would help with recruiting and give more Fighting Irish fans a chance to see the team play.

Division I football will go to a 12-game schedule for all schools beginning this season.

"I think over time we've really begun to behave like a wannabe conference member," White said. "I think it was real important for us to go back to our roots and behave more like an independent - go back to the coach Rockne barnstorming era if you will."

The game is a sign that Notre Dame is moving further away from possibly affiliating with a conference, White said.

He said the games aren't truly neutral-site games, but home contests played away from South Bend. They will not be against what White described as "heavyweights."

"We have enough heavyweights on the schedule," he said. "We need to have a schedule that's conducive to success."

He said the university is negotiating to play in Jacksonville and Orlando, Fla., New Orleans and Dallas. The school is looking at existing bowl-game organizations to help stage the contests.

"It's really not a bad idea for Notre Dame to have relationships with lots of different entities," White said.

White, who has been inaccessible to the media in recent months, met informally with reporters for 90 minutes Tuesday to discus a wide range of issues, including upgrading university facilities, his decision to give football coach Charlie Weis a new 10-year contract and football scheduling.

Some Notre Dame fans have criticized the team's upcoming schedules, saying they are not as tough as they have been. White said he is not trying to put together the nation's most difficult schedule.

"We need to schedule in a way it puts us in a position to win national championships. We could have a great football team and schedule ourselves out of a championship. You can schedule yourself in, you can schedule yourself out," he said. "The last time I checked, the most important thing here is to try to win national championships. That's what we're trying to do."

by **NavyCrimson** » Tue May 16, 2006 12:02 pm

sounds like a smart marketing move by the irish!!! :wink:

by **Water Pony** » Tue May 16, 2006 12:04 pm

DREAM:

Steve Orini, who played at ND, gets the Fighting Irish to commit to return to the House That Doak Built and play the Protestants from SMU. Think the Dallas City Council can commit to refurbishing the Cotton Bowl to attract ND and lock up TU/OU for a longer period? Aggies would want in on action too.

There won't be a problem filling the stadium with any opponent. Why not SMU?

by **Hoop Fan** » Tue May 16, 2006 1:07 pm

a game with ND is sitting there for the taking. They want to play in Dallas. They want a relatively easy opponent. Our AD is connected to the glory days of ND. We have a history together and like minded schools. How can it not be SMU that they play here? It not only could happen, it should happen. Thats why i said when Orsini was hired that the ball was sitting on the tee waiting for him to knock it out of the park.

by **DiamondM75** » Tue May 16, 2006 1:12 pm

Hoop Fan wrote:a game with ND is sitting there for the taking. They want to play in Dallas. They want a relatively easy opponent. Our AD is connected to the glory days of ND. We have a history together and like minded schools. How can it not be SMU that they play here? It not only could happen, it should happen. Thats why i said when Orsini was hired that the ball was sitting on the tee waiting for him to knock it out of the park.

Steve does not start until June 1.

We will sign a ND contract on June 2. :wink:

by **WorldStang** » Tue May 16, 2006 1:27 pm

That would be very cool. I would love to see it..

Yes.. I know we'll get our asses handed to us.. most likely.. but would be great to be somewhat competitive on National TV.

by **Hoop Fan** » Tue May 16, 2006 1:34 pm

would not matter. you line up and play Notre Dame any chance you get. Just playing them validates your D-1 status in my opinion. Thats not as true with UT or other schools because they play most anybody who will prosititute themselves for a check. La Lafayette comes to mind.

by **Water Pony** » Tue May 16, 2006 2:38 pm

Think it would help recruiting? Hell yes! National stage in the Cotton Bowl!

by **DiamondM75** » Tue May 16, 2006 3:09 pm

Water Pony wrote:Think it would help recruiting? Hell yes! National stage in the Cotton Bowl!

You meant to say Ford, right?

I don't care who we are playing, WE PLAY IN FORD. Period! Paragraph!

We want recruits at a game, then those recruits should see Ford, not the Cotton Bowl. I would rather sell 35K seats at $25 or $30, than 70K at $10, and we keep the consessions, parking and rent. Plus, I don't think ND would draw 60K fans. This game might sell 50K at the Cotton Bowl.

by **bagice** » Tue May 16, 2006 3:19 pm

The whole point of what ND is trying to do is schedule games at NEUTRAL sites in big markets where they traditionally do not play, says that in first sentence of the story. Ford Stadium would not be a neutral site, unless they were playing TCU there. You would have to assume that they would want to play in a bigger, neutral venue, either Cotton Bowl or Jerry World and we are no gaurantee as being the opponent, although I say our chance would be much better than most.

Who knows though, they could be talking about bringing TT to Dallas to play.

by **Water Pony** » Tue May 16, 2006 3:22 pm

DiamondM75 wrote:
Water Pony wrote:Think it would help recruiting? Hell yes! National stage in the Cotton Bowl!

You meant to say Ford, right?

I don't care who we are playing, WE PLAY IN FORD. Period! Paragraph!

We want recruits at a game, then those recruits should see Ford, not the Cotton Bowl. I would rather sell 35K seats at $25 or $30, than 70K at $10, and we keep the consessions, parking and rent. Plus, I don't think ND would draw 60K fans. This game might sell 50K at the Cotton Bowl.

The reality is ND would never play in Ford. It is simply too small and we couldn't provide sufficent guarantees to the Fighting Irish. If SMU is ever to play ND locally, it must be the Cotton Bowl or Jerry's World. I prefer Cotton Bowl due to tradition, location, state fair, etc. Sorry, Ford is not an option, even if we expanded it to 45K.

by **bagice** » Tue May 16, 2006 3:32 pm

Upon further reading comprehension of the story,

It states that they are not looking to schedule any heavyweights and are looking to existing Bowl organizations to help schedule and run the games.

So....this almost certainly means this has Cotton Bowl ties and will be played there and we are certainly no "heavyweight", which in this case is a good thing, since that is what they are looking for.

To me, looks like SMU and ND in the Cotton Bowl (stadium not new year's game

) sometime between 2009 and 2012.

Definitely a lot of history to support this. The Cotton Bowl brass and the Irish have long been cozy together and Orsini provides the SMU/Irish link.

Can't Wait!

by **nc pony** » Tue May 16, 2006 3:59 pm

think we'd be competitive by then w/ ND?

by **Water Pony** » Tue May 16, 2006 4:01 pm

We will be competitive. Do we have three years to get ready?

Is Notre Dame coming to Dallas? Yes, but against who?

Is Notre Dame coming to Dallas? Yes, but against who?

Who is online