1070 The Fan | Time for Notre Dame to put its pride aside...

Behind the Mic with MG

Time for Notre Dame to put its pride aside...

Posted 6/10/2010 7:00:00 PM

Why does it feel like Armageddon is near?

All hell is breaking loose in the College Football Conference carousel; and attempting to speculate what exactly will happen is like trying to solve Chinese arithmetic.

First we heard Texas wanted no part of the Big Ten. Then we heard Texas was leaning toward the Pac-10. Now (according to KCTV 5 in Kansas City) we’re hearing that the Longhorns and Texas A&M are petitioning for membership in…..yes, the Big Ten!

If the aforementioned report is true (we’re already hearing reports to the contrary), the Big Ten will balloon from eleven to 14 teams with the addition of the Nebraska Cornhuskers, the Longhorns, and the Aggies. The Conference will not expand beyond 16 teams, which means as many as two more can seek inclusion.

Among the most notable candidates are: Missouri, Rutgers, Syracuse, Maryland, Pittsburgh, and Notre Dame.

Rutgers or Syracuse has to be strong candidates considering the fact either would expose the conference to the New York market (assuming that is a big deal to Commissioner Jim Delaney…but why wouldn’t it be??). Maryland makes the least sense of the remaining group…and Missouri and Pittsburgh cancel each other out.

That leaves Notre Dame.

For years the Fighting Irish has taken pride in their independence. On separate occasions the prestigious program flirted with the idea of joining the Big Ten, and both times opted against it in the name of tradition.

This case is just a tad bit different. The Big Ten now has a lucrative TV-network with a conference payout of up to $22 million. If the “Texas to the Big Ten” reports are indeed accurate…it’s not far-fetched for that payout to grow significantly.

Before their recent contract extension, the Irish were getting $9 million a year in their exclusive deal with NBC. It’s hard to imagine the new deal being worth more, considering how awful Notre Dame’s football program has been in recent years. Even with Notre Dame being better off (financially) than most other schools…it’s hard to imagine the program turning down such an enticing offer. Or is it?

Talk to any Irish alum and they’ll tell you that Notre Dame is special:

“It’s blasphemous to even consider corrupting the tradition of the program by joining a conference. Knute would be rolling over in his grave!”

“Given our history, why would we want to be just another team in a conference and lose our individuality (and our feeling superiority)?”

Well, it’s time for a wake up call. Much like the argument against adding instant replay in baseball, I’m tired of hearing about Notre Dame’s reluctance to join a super-conference because of history. If they fail to get with the program now, they’ll eventually find themselves in a disadvantageous position once the dust settles around them. Good luck formulating a solid schedule once the super-conferences are locked in.

Some may think that the Big Ten has more to gain by adding Notre Dame. This may have been the case as recently as a few years ago…but now with the massive realignment taking place right before our eyes, the benefit for the conference and the Irish may be a 50-50 split. Notre Dame would more than likely have to finish a regular season undefeated in order to see a National Championship game…..and that’s assuming their strength of schedule is worthy.

Now, imagine a Big Ten division that includes Ohio State, Penn State, Nebraska, and Notre Dame…

Or Texas, Texas A&M, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Notre Dame…

If you’re a Notre Damer does that intrigue you? Or scare the dog-@#$% out of you?? You’re fooling yourself if you think the idea of competing in such a mega-conference isn’t activating the sweat glands of Irish fans still trying to figure out how they finished .500 last season.

In a remodeled Big Ten, the Irish would have to re-write their own history. The pressure would be on to compete at the highest level against teams that also have a strong sense of pride within their football programs.

No more dates with Washington State, Nevada, Western Michigan, or Tulsa (although a date in Bloomington will ease that pain a little bit). Quite frankly, I think Brian Kelly is up for such a challenge…no matter how unpopular such a shift would be in South Bend.

It’s the future. It’s the direction everyone else is headed. And if Notre Dame wants to pretend it is 1924, 1943, 1966, or 1988 they’ll be left in the cold before too long.

The logical move is to the Big Ten. Now put your pride to the side and get it done.

Posted By: MG

Comments:

IUBall, keep dreaming.
Posted By MarshallCounty On 6/13/2010 6:36:45 PM

ND fans, you thought it was cold in South Bend in the winter, wait till there is no one let to play hows worth a dame. How well will your name alone land great recruits if your out in the cold every year? Your schedule could stink. ND would have a tough time in the MAC, there is an idea, you still have the MAC to fall back on. Hope you stay independent, less recruiting power can only help IU recruit. IU gets what is left over after ND, Purdue are done every year. So any ND down grade is in IU's favor.

Posted By iuball On 6/11/2010 7:39:25 PM

I think that Nebraska, Texas, A&M and ND joining the Big 10 would be pretty cool. However having said that I do not think that they will. I think the big 10 is an awesome footbal conference and yea the big TV deal sounds nice but here is what you have to consider about the NBC deal and them being independent. Even though the NBC contract is half of what the big 10 contract is those games are televised nationally. I went to a wedding in Hawaii this summer and I was there during the opening day for ND and the entire ISland was talking about how they could not wait to watch Monte Tao or however the hell you spell it play. To me the amount of national media attention that ND gets with NBC is more valuable with exposure and recruiting then the extra 11mil they would get with the big 10. As far as their independence goes that gives them free reign to play whoever it is that they want to. I mean they are playing the first everfootball game in New Yankee stadium for cryin out loud, tell me that kinda thing is not appealing as a recruit. Also they are playing a game is soldier field. Not only is it sweet to play in these stadiums it is also huge to have recruits come to these games and see what they could potentially be playing in. I think that theBig 10 needs ND more than ND needs the big 10. NBC and being able to play who and wherever they want is what helps ND get great recruits every year, yes even though they can't get more than 6 wins with a cakewalk schedule.

Posted By Jimmy John On 6/11/2010 4:54:38 PM

I became a Notre Dame fan around the Willingham era as a way of bonding with my dad. I have no connection with their history other than having heard about it, I only know continued disappointment but I love to cheer for them. Its not just a history and pride though that does weigh on the decision. Its also about recruiting and exposure. Notre Dame currently has a lot of control over who and where they play, meaning they can play coast to coast and be seen by so many people. This is why the fan base is so large and spread out and what allows Notre Dame to recruit well in spite of poor performance. The TV deal allows even more exposure for each player on the field and is likely the only real reason many quality recruits still head to South Bend. Joining a conference would remove a lot of their control and limit the area they have influence. It is still more likely they will join if conferences head to the big 16, but its not just pride. I am a Notre Dame fan who hasn't seen much success and I really hope they can put off joining until we can see what coach Kelly is made of.

Posted By SoopMD On 6/11/2010 12:35:49 PM

I'm sick of this crap about how Notre Dame needs to join a conference to stay relevant. Guess what we are talking about them? That means they are relevant. They went to back to back BCS bowl games only 4 years ago. That makes them relevant. One of the top coaching candidates in nation Brian Kelly left his team prior to their BCS bowl game to take the Notre Dame job. That makes them relevant. Notre Dame still gets a higher TV rating for their games despite their sub-standard record than 99% of the other college football games played. That makes them relevant. They still pull in top 25 recruiting classes year after year. That still makes them relevant.

Posted By Sean On 6/11/2010 10:47:50 AM

As a ND fan I would love to see them stay independent and would like to agree with MarshallCounty but the undeniable truth of the matter is that ND can't afford to be on the outside looking in if 4 mega conferences emerge. Scheduling alone would make it impossible to compete, with all these BCS teams limited to 1 maybe 2 non conference games they aren't going to be as willing to play tough non-conference games (assuming BK works his magic) and their availablilty would make scheduling much more than 1 or 2 BCS teams a year impossible, leaving Championships and BCS games out of reach. Unfortunately I think the only way to stay independent is if the Big 10 and PAC 10 stop at 12 and the Big 12 fills the void they have keeping all 6 conferences in tact but it appears that may just be a pipe dream making ND joining the Big 10 inevitable.

Posted By Nashville On 6/11/2010 10:22:00 AM

Greatness shouldn't hide behind fear. ND needs to stand up and fight for its independence. Notre Dame has built its reputation on fighting when all the naysayers were trying to bury them. Notre Dame is not a Big Ten school, it is Notre Dame. Just because the times have been had the last 17 years, doesn't mean ND should pack it in and give its values just to pacify the rest. Remember it is always darkest before the sunrises.

Posted By MarshallCounty On 6/10/2010 10:25:25 PM

Agreed ND needs to join while it is still relevant. The clock has been ticking for the past ten years. Under the old college world ND probably had another 10 years before they sunk so low they could not return to the top. At the speed college football is changing these last few days ND could be locked out of the dance and knocking at the door of the ACC.
Posted By Fools Gold On 6/10/2010 9:47:28 PM