If ND were to join a conference, which one do you think it should be?

[Bubba]

I say split up the Big 10. Make 2 new conferences, one a football powerhouse, the other a basketball powerhouse. Invite teams from other conferences to join in and spread it out across the country so that the rivalries can form nationwide. I know it'd be suicide, but even the regular season games would be intense.

 

[A2McGowan]

It is well known that a large portion of the faculty would love to join the Big Ten because of the enormous wealth of research money. ND is linked with IU, PU, and Northwestern for connectivity via data networks and such. (See new IU hospital on campus)However, THE tradition of ND football is to play anyone, anywhere, and anytime.....national.

 

[LOVEMYIRISH]

It is well known that a large portion of the faculty would love to join the Big Ten because of the enormous wealth of research money. ND is linked with IU, PU, and Northwestern for connectivity via data networks and such. (See new IU hospital on campus)However, THE tradition of ND football is to play anyone, anywhere, and anytime.....national.

I have heard through the years that we don't meet their academic criteria for entry. They would need to bend the rules. But it could be done if they really wanted us.

Although, we really don't have a natural fit with any ONE conference, so I struggle with the whole issue.

Out of all the conferences, the BigTen is the best academically...PAC-10 is the next best. In terms of the sports we play, I guess BigTen is a solid fit.

However, it's a losing deal if we do it...so I don't really entertain serious thought on the subject.

We are independent for a reason. We need it...and college football needs it. We are an throw-back that reminds College Football of its roots. We are bigger than any one conference.

We are ND. Period.

 

[punishment]

If ND were to join the Big Ten, in about 20 years, boards like these would have members from the Midwest region only, as ND would lose much of its national appeal.

 

[irishlaw77]

Harry Caray: Hey! Now Ken, We all know that the moon is not made of green cheese.
Jeff Goldblum: Yes, that's true, Harry.
Harry Caray: But what if it were made of barbecue spare ribs. Would you eat it then?
Jeff Goldblum: What?
Harry Caray: I know I would. Heck, I'd have seconds. Then polish it off with a tall, cool Budweiser.


Hopefully this question is still almost as speculative as this.....

 

[BGIF]

... Hopefully this question is still almost as speculative as this.....

Rep points!

If Demetrius Jones was an OL would he be a tackle or a guard? He's tenacious but very mobile.

It's FOOTBALL SEASON!

 

[luckofirish8]

Rep points!

If Demetrius Jones was an OL would he be a tackle or a guard? He's tenacious but very mobile.

It's FOOTBALL SEASON!

No doubt, he's a guard. I can see as a nice pulling guard. I think his mobility could do wonders on trap plays.

J/K

 

[ralphwaldoemerson]

no no no

 

[Bubba]

Don't think for a minute that I want to see this happen. With all the other "what if" questions on the board, I figured it would be interesting to hear some of the responses. BTW, if the moon were made out of ribs I'd eat 'em in a heartbeat!!

 

[tommy]

if my aunt had balls would she be my uncle?

 

[KMac151993]

None.

 

[Óglaigh_na_hÉireann]

Independent conference.

 

[tommy]

we are our own conferance

 

[rontdtarchala]

we Are Nd.......

 

[mirertobrooks]

Army, Navy, and Temple

 

[solo]

Only 2 conferences make sense in my opinion:

1. Big 10...We already play many of their teams and geographically it is the best fit.

2. Big East...Already a member in other sports so football makes sense. We would add instant credibility to a weak conference and would always finish among the top.

That said...I want to be independant forever. But if we HAD to join a conference, only 2 make sense to me.

 

[lattedatte]

I would hope we wouldn't ever get in a conference, but I wouldn't mind lightening up our schedule just a bit.

 

[iloveirish_12]

Big Ten if we had to, but none is the best choice. I like the teams we play. I don't want to play a Bowling Green, like Ohio State.

 

[irishfan]

The problem if we join the big 10, is that we would only be able to have 4 non-conference games. Two of those four games would have to be against USC and Navy, and in the other two, we would have to play agoinst Big East teams. We would have nearly the same non-conference schedule every year. That means no more Stanford, Washington, Boston College, etc. Also, we would never be able to have those exciting home and home series that we have had in the past few years (Nebraska, Tennessee, Florida State, Texas A@M) And if we moved to the Big East, we would most likely have the same five non-conference games every year. (Navy, USC, Michigan, Mich State, Purdue) In order to keep all 5 of those rivalries intact and join the Big East, we would play the same 12 teams every year!Knute Rockne made this school famous by traveling all over the country and kicking everyones ass in football, and it would be a terrible way to remember him by joining a conference, and have most of our schedule planned for us.

 

[maison bleu]

If ND were to join the Big Ten, in about 20 years, boards like these would have members from the Midwest region only, as ND would lose much of its national appeal.

Other teams (SC, Michigan, FSU, &c.) manage to enjoy national appeal and the benefits of conference membership....

A different point: I"m sure ND is good enough academically for the Big Ten. I mean, tO$U is a member.

 

[scooper]

Other teams (SC, Michigan, FSU, &c.) manage to enjoy national appeal and the benefits of conference membership....

A different point: I"m sure ND is good enough academically for the Big Ten. I mean, tO$U is a member.

One big reason those teams enjoy the appeal they do is a large local appeal that spreads cross country. You have a solid, rabid core from which the national appeal stems. That is due to a large alumni base and state-wide support. That strong core makes for strong support everywhere.

I suspect ND's core, while rabid, would not be large enough if the schedule and exposure become more regional.

 

[punishment]

If any of you have ever read the Murray Sperber (??) book "Shake Down the Thunder," you would all really hate the idea of ND joining the Big Ten.

I realize that the Big Ten makes the most sense geographically, but I would rather have ND join the Big East. ND begged the Big 10 (and all its predecessor conferences) for admission to the Big 10, but were always turned down. Apparently, we weren't good enough, and were never going to be good enough. (Yes, I'm going to hold on to this 100 year grudge.)

So if we ever had to do it, please no Big 10. Go for the Big East, or better yet, the ACC. We can have BC kicked out of the ACC and sent back to the Big East.