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scroll down to the bottom but read the entire thread if you have time...that light at the end of the tunnel could be a gorilla with a flashlight if nd isn't careful:

http://ncaasports.proboards10.com/index.cgi?board=general&num=1056628855&action=display&start=75

i think it makes more sense then notre dame cares to admit at this time.


Re: Notre Dame's Future
« Reply #86 on: Oct 19th, 2003, 11:38am »

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Are we heading to a point where "Notre Dame's future" is becoming less and less of an issue to the rest of us and more and more critical to ND itself?

In some respects are the Irish sinking into irrelevency? It seems with the exception of their current t.v. contract and current BCS status, this may be true.

Let's face it, a kid growing up today would find ND's glory to be ancient (and meaningless) history. Today's reality: blasted out of the stadium by Michigan, USC and others, a decade away from championship competition. No echoes are being wakened or even stirred.

So now BC drops out of an already descimated Big East, a conference whose BCS status is very much in question, a conference now without a hope of having the two major Catholic football powers in America within its membership.

So what's left, Notre Dame? Independent status or Big Ten membership? What else is there? And, rest assure, the Big Ten will not come looking for you this time around. Your independent status is becoming as cute and as quirky and out-of-date as no lights were at Wrigley Field. If you keep it up much longer, it could be your tombstone. The BCS is going more and more in the direction of super conferences and membership within them being the ticket to the championship series. So where your place goin to be, Notre Dame? And how much are the Irish going to be an attraction to the networks when they're mired in mediocracy?

Notre Dame can hold off on conference affiliation as long as it wants, can kid itself as long as it wants, but the truth is: if ND doesn't make a move soon, it will be shut out from meaninful participation in the new world of college football.

Don't wait for the Big Ten. Pitt becomes more an more interested in joining the conference, especially as the BE continues to fall apart. Mizzou would jump at the opporutnity of Big Ten membership.

The Big Ten will give you no preferential treatment, ND, just like it didn't for Penn State. Still it's a fabulous opportunity for you (an incredible conference in your back yard, filled with ND rivals, and a promise for high profile academics as well as athletics), one whoe window of opportunity is closing very rapidly as we speak. Take it.

<small>[ 10-20-2003, 06:56 PM: Message edited by: Navy&Crimson ]</small>

Yes, even the might Fighting Irish will have to adjust to the new BCS and TV realities. Just as they finally decided to play in a bowl game back in 1970, money will motivate them to join a 12 team conference - and now is the time to make such a move. But frankly I don't know why we should care what happens to ND, except for the effect they have on depriving somone else a conference membership of their choosing by moving to the head of the line in becoming a member of a conference somewhere.

Who cares? ND has held their priviliged position in sports for waaaaay tooooooo long. F___ them.

Hope you can get into the WAC in a few years.

Notre Dame in a conference? No way! The alums do not want it.

The free market, exemplified by the National Broadcasting Company does not require it.

Division I football programs line up at Notre Dame's door to schedule them, fill their stadiums and typically raise that year's season ticket sales by five figures.

And Bodo, whoever you are, I sincerely doubt that you could correctly spell Notre Dame, let alone qualify for admission there.

BUT domer pony...don't u see the college landscape change where nd just 'may be' considering alternatives down the road - just in case?

i've supported nd in the past as well but if they don't get in the big10 (down the road) - the big 10 will only hold it open for so long & then someone is going to have to fill the opening sooner or later if all the conferences go to a 12-team conf. playoff.

i can understand not jumping right now or the next 3-5 yrs but its also to nd's advantage to jump when they still have good tv ratings & a solid team b/c if they don't turn this thing around in the next 4-5 yrs, they're going to have to consider some alternative plans for sure.

N&C,

I certainly agree with your conclusion that the Division I landscape is dramatically changing. Thank goodness SMU appears to be moving at least one rung up the ladder to Conference USA.

It is also true that Notre Dame desires membership for all sports excluding football in a strong and financially desirable conference. Similar to SMU, Notre Dame pays attention to the Sears Cup standings. The Big East arrangement was great for Notre Dame basketball. A similar arrangement, exclusive of football with the ACC or Big Ten would also be great.

However, the alumni base strongly favors independence. You probably recall the Big Ten offered membership three years ago. Under intense pressure from alums, the offer was declined. Alumni living in Texas and California do not favor Big Ten membership. Alumni living in the Midwest do not favor ACC, Big 12, SEC or Pac Ten membership.

Things could change. The NBC contract could go away. However, there is no indication of that happening.

Meanwhile, the stadiums and coffers are full both home and away.

thanx for the reply domer...i always wanted smu to start a series with nd much like what purdue, navy & rutgers has...but i guess that's only a pipe dream for sure...i would love smu to start a 10-yr series with one of the east coast teams (preferably private) like a boston college, notre dame (midwest), miami, virginia, syracuse & build it into a good rivalry around mid october or so...i would love us to start a long term series with usc much like the nd-usc series...

anyways, when living in new york during the early to mid-90's there was always talk about the big east being the irish's - mostly likely - home vs. the little ten conference if & when they decided to join a conference...everyone talked about the large, i mean large, nd alumni base & catholic base thru out the northeast that would energize their already strong program...what are your thoughts?

but then again - i guess that's shot with the defections to the acc...

thanx in advance.

Originally posted by Sam I Am:
Yes, even the might Fighting Irish will have to adjust to the new BCS and TV realities.

That's funny, someone please send out the drama queen alert... ND loses to SC and all of a sudden they need to destroy their whole strategy???

For the next ten years, Notre Dame will generate more revenue from football than any other of the 300+ NCAA schools will generate from their entire athletic department and conference partnerships (all BCS schools included).

In basketball, the Big East just improved by losing Miami, VA Tech and BC, while adding Louisville, Cincinnati, South Florida, Marquette and DePaul. Notre Dame is coming off a regional appearance, and will have guarenteed annual trips to the hot recruiting markets in New York, Chicago, Washington DC, Philadelphia and Milwaukee; with a rotation in Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and Tampa. That doesn't include national games in the rotation against Syracuse, Connecticut or Louisiville.

As for baseball... Miami never competed in Big East baseball, so no loss there either.

Notre Dame is in the catbird seat, and going no where.

Thanks for the reality comments on ND. As a matter of fact, I attend the ND/USC game Saturday. The campus is magical on a Fall Saturday, packed with students, alums, fans (huge USC turnout), etc. But, the Fighting Irish we over matched with USC's offense being unopposed.

However, the ND student body was there in mass, all with green tee shirts, standing for the entire game and never left the stadium when the outcome was not in doubt. They cheered and kept up their well practiced chants. At half they presented the 1973 National Championship Team.

After the game ended, the player saluted the students on the way out after a very bad loss and blow-out. Not many schools deserve or receive that kind of unquestioned loyality and admiration.

ND is good for college sports, if for no other reason that to set a standard for others. Their huge band played the USC Fight Song before and after the game.

With ND's schedule, they don't need a conference to have a strong strength of schedule. I'd take ND over most schools except of course SMU.

:thumbupcool: Go Mustangs. High on Tradition. We will Return.

Originally posted by Water Pony:
ND is good for college sports, if for no other reason that to set a standard for others.

I totally disagree. ND is NOT good for college sports. They were and still are the beginning for what is WRONG with college athletics. It's all ME, ME, ME with ND. They want all their football money and to stay independent.

But when it comes to their other sports, they NEED a conference to compete in. I don't understand why the BE schools let themselves be USED by ND. Oh, yeah - money.

I say let them stay out there on their holier-than-thou crusade and get left out. Conferences should be all or nothing. If they don't want to bring their football team, see ya.

And BTW, I have been to a game up there (SMU-ND, 1986). The tradition was unbelievable and it was a great collegiate atmosphere. But times have changed and so should ND.

the plain and simple truth is that Notre Dame is in a position to rescue the Big East and preserve their status as a BCS conference. If N.D. agrees to play with the Big East, even as an "associate" member of that conference (meaning a 4 game schedule) under a provision that makes them eligible for the Big East's BCS bid, I expect the cartel might just approve of that arrangement. Notre Dame could still negotiate a TV package for all their home games and help the Big East negotiate a new TV deal knowing they'd get to include a couple of ND road games in the package. Meanwhile, ND retains their foothold in the fertile northeastern recruiting grounds.

It still appears the Big East needs another all sports member to replace BC and it would appear USF has the inside track. I'm sure the Big East would like to keep Florida in their TV network, because there are a whole bunch of transplanted northeasterners in Fla

When you can have your own national television network NBC, its NOT good for NCAA supposedly amateur college football.

I think in the era of Doalk Walker and Kyle Rote the SMU-ND game was one of the great intersectional rivalries in college football.