ND to Big12

[East Coast Mustang]

Just for [deleted] and giggles-

East Division- Notre Dame, Temple, Rutgers, UCF, USF, UConn, Navy

West Division- SMU, Boise, SDSU, Memphis, UH, Cincinnati, Louisville

[Water Pony]

Chicago Tribune

AD: Irish like Big East.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/br ... 2451.story

[Water Pony]

Chicago Tribune:

TCU AD clarifies comments about FSU, Miami and the Big 12

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/br ... 0088.story

[Hoop Fan]

Would never happen, but maybe ND would like these traditional opponents in their division and a clear path to a championship most years:

Notre Dame, Navy, BYU, SMU, Air Force, Rutgers, Uconn, Temple
Louisville, Cincy, Houston, Boise State, SDSU, UCF, Memphis, USF

[stc9]

To those concluding that Notre Dame will inevitably pick the Big 10 - The B!G has been persuing ND for a 100 years and the answer is always "no". ND sees itself as a national brand - not a midwestern regional one. IMO, ND will never align itself with local rivals like Purdue, Indiana and North Western. My prediction is that ND will move Olympic sports to the Big 12 with a long term deal with the Horns for Thanksgiving football - and if the superconferences force the issue - full blown Big 12 membership that includes football.

Let's look at this rationally for just a moment. What is ND first and foremost? They are a Catholic University that also has a football team. They are not going to break away from all of the other BE Catholic Schools. They vote in a block and control the conference. Without their football team being involved they have more in common with Villanova, St. John's, Georgetown, Providence, Marquette... Than they ever will with the Whorens. Their mission from God is to educate. They take that seriously. Their deal with the BE and NBC allows them to have the best of both worlds. If the NBC deal goes away, they might have to re-think this.

Outside of Chicago, where are the most ND Alumns? They are in the foot print of the old BE. ND is not going to alienate that group. That group gives a lot $$$s every year. Having ND hoops play St. John's in the Garden every other year is worth $1 million in donations alone. The trip to Storrs Connecticut is easy from the NYC area and that game is worth big $$$s in donations. Villanova and Georgetown for the Philly and DC alums = big money.

Now if the music stops and ND needs to join a conference because they need to replace the NBC money. It is not going to be the Big 12ish. Big Ten to keep the Midwest cash register ringing or the ACC to keep the NE cash register ringing.

[SMU89]

Dominus Cabiscum