ND the 12th?

[Iron Machine]

I was arguing with my brother about if Notre Dame were added to the Big Ten would the big ten be as disastrous for those teams that are trying for the national championship like the sec is?

 

[Pete]

Why waste your breath. ND will NOT join a conference. The alums would absolutely kill White if he tried

 

[LOVEMYIRISH]

I was arguing with my brother about if Notre Dame were added to the Big Ten would the big ten be as disastrous for those teams that are trying for the national championship like the sec is?

It would kill ND football, we would decline like PSU. It would suck... It would make the BigTen a helluva division...but ND would never win an NC again.

 

[tedwick]

If ND joined the Big 11, it would be the new super-conference. however, there's no way ND joins a conference. too much history, and they already get whatever benefits of having a conference. some deals, they're just included with the Big East, other deals they have their own clauses, like the BCS. there's really not a huge reason to join a conference aside from a massive top 25-wide boycott.

 

[BGIF]

shamrock, Love, and Ted,

Valid comments but irrelevant to the argument he was having with his brother.

I don't think he was talking about the Big 10's impact on ND but rather ND's impact on the existing members of the Big 10 having to face a tougher schedule (more talented teams similar to SEC).

IF ND was in the Big 10, 11, or 12, OSU would have another serious opponent. ND wouldn't be on the schedule every year but Saturday's opponent could have been ND instead of Illinois. UM (and MSU and PU) would be effected least as they frequently play ND now. OSU, PSU, and WIS would all face an increase in Schedule Strength as ND rotated through the league schedule.

 

[mlcspinner]

It doesn't matter. ND will not join the the Big 10.

 

[NDOM]

I personally think Notre Dame has to join a conference to get a chance to play in the National Championship. It will help their overall chances. Them being independent and playing teams like: Air Force, Army, Navy, The Coast Guard, and the Marines year in and year out just does not look good. Their schedual year in and year out turns out to be very overrated. (who have we played this year?) Besides the Georgia Tech win who have we beaten? and we just got smacked in the face against a better stronger faster team in Michigan. I vote for Notre Dame to join a conference. It will help with recruiting as well. How can you argue?

 

[scooper]

I personally think Notre Dame has to join a conference to get a chance to play in the National Championship. It will help their overall chances. Them being independent and playing teams like: Air Force, Army, Navy, The Coast Guard, and the Marines year in and year out just does not look good. Their schedual year in and year out turns out to be very overrated. (who have we played this year?) Besides the Georgia Tech win who have we beaten? and we just got smacked in the face against a better stronger faster team in Michigan. I vote for Notre Dame to join a conference. It will help with recruiting as well. How can you argue?

Easily. Had we beaten Michigan, we'd be in the driver's seat.

I never concede an argument to someone who uses hyperbole to make a point. Which is what the coast guard and marines comment was. At the end of the year, we will have probably beaten more good teams than Louisville, who as it stands may get a shot at the title.

 

[BGIF]

I personally think Notre Dame has to join a conference to get a chance to play in the National Championship. It will help their overall chances. Them being independent and playing teams like: Air Force, Army, Navy, The Coast Guard, and the Marines year in and year out just does not look good. Their schedual year in and year out turns out to be very overrated. (who have we played this year?) Besides the Georgia Tech win who have we beaten? and we just got smacked in the face against a better stronger faster team in Michigan. I vote for Notre Dame to join a conference. It will help with recruiting as well. How can you argue?

How can you have a handle like "Notre Dame Our Mother" and have such an little understanding of Notre Dame? Your view is myopic at best.

The lack of conference affiliation does hurt ND in the BCS polling but that's it. ND has a national alumni network and a national following. If ND joins the Big 10 kiss USC, TEX, Tennessee, LSU, Bama, FSU, etc games goodbye. Look for Buffalo, Central Michigan, and Ball State to occupy those dates. Nobody in a conference plays regional teams nor travels like ND does.

ND flirted with Big 10 membership a few years ago for one reason, a part of the faculty wanted to be part of the Big 10 to participate in their Research Consortium. It had nothing to do with athletics. It was voted down.

As for recruiting ND would suffer. It would lack the national exposure of that it enjoys now. It become a regional school with games against a bunch of HomeState U's. ND would compete against those same schools for recruits on a principal basis. ND would suffer the fate of IU. A school with a small recruiting base. ND would be worse off as the only conference member with tough admission requirements, the Vanderbilt of the SEC, the Stanford of the PAC-10, the Duke of the ACC.


Only benefit I see is most of the hater would dry up and go away as ND no longer beat their team, their conference, nor "stole" their homestate recruits.

 

[tedwick]

also, ND loses its NBC deal, and ends up playing on "ESPN Plus" every other week.

Agreed, it would be very, very hard to escape a Big10+ND undefeated. Probably harder than the SEC. There would be no way of getting around Michigan/OSU/Iowa/ND, and any of those teams could give the other a game in a typical year.

 

[Vince Young]

If ND had beaten Michigan and was still undefeated, they'd be #2 right now. Period. That embarassing loss is hurting us FAR more than our independent status.

ND doesn't need a conference.

 

[WalshND]

I personally think Notre Dame has to join a conference to get a chance to play in the National Championship. It will help their overall chances. Them being independent and playing teams like: Air Force, Army, Navy, The Coast Guard, and the Marines year in and year out just does not look good. Their schedual year in and year out turns out to be very overrated. (who have we played this year?) Besides the Georgia Tech win who have we beaten? and we just got smacked in the face against a better stronger faster team in Michigan. I vote for Notre Dame to join a conference. It will help with recruiting as well. How can you argue?

Oh brother????..... First off we don't play the Coast Guard Academy. Second, the Marine Corps is a branch of the Navy, NOT an Independent team. Do some research and find out why the the Irish play Navy every year. We owe them, Big time! They kept the university's doors open during WWII.

 

[jerseyborn1971]

Give me the Service Academies every year over NIU, Central Michagan, UL-Lafayette, UL-Monroe, Ball State, Western Kentucky, Tulane, Bowling Green, Eastern Kentucky, Middle Tennessee State, Arkansas St, Montana and Maine. All schools that some of the "elite" teams play every year. Criticizing playing the Service Academies is the work of trolls and haters. There is no merit to the argument at all. Joining the Big Ten and replacing Georgia Tech, UCLA, USC, Pitt, Stanford, UNC etc with Indiana, Illinois, Northwestern and Minnesota does nothing for ND's credibility.

The Big Ten is a joke. After tOSU & Michigan, the rest are garbage.

 

[WalshND]

Give me the Service Academies every year over NIU, Central Michagan, UL-Lafayette, UL-Monroe, Ball State, Western Kentucky, Tulane, Bowling Green, Eastern Kentucky, Middle Tennessee State, Arkansas St, Montana and Maine. All schools that some of the "elite" teams play every year. Criticizing playing the Service Academies is the work of trolls and haters. There is no merit to the argument at all. Joining the Big Ten and replacing Georgia Tech, UCLA, USC, Pitt, Stanford, UNC etc with Indiana, Illinois, Northwestern and Minnesota does nothing for ND's credibility.

The Big Ten is a joke. After tOSU & Michigan, the rest are garbage.

Rep points. Good post! look at the schedule of the BIG, Big Ten teams. As we used to say in the Army...Weaker than a soup sandwich.