no more UM or MSU?

[irishfan]

Michigan-Notre Dame taking break
July 21, 2007

Despite the apparent best efforts of U-M athletic director Bill Martin, Michigan and Notre Dame may not play for two years. The same deal will follow for Michigan State.

The current U-M/Notre Dame contract expires in 2011 and, according to Notre Dame athletic director Kevin White, the teams will take at least two years off.

A story in the (Ala.) Press-Register today said, "White said the Fighting Irish will take a short break from their Big 10 rivals in the future, replacing Michigan with Oklahoma for a two-year period, then facing Arizona State instead of Michigan State for two years."

Martin said earlier this summer that the hangup in the contract renegotiations was U-M's intent to get the Notre Dame home game in the opposite year of Ohio State, unlike the previous setup.

But that would conflict with Notre Dame's intent to do something similar with USC.

Apparently, taking a break from the series may be the immediate remedy.

Martin has also said he would like to begin playing games in other parts of the country, tapping into various alumni bases. Notre Dame is stealing that idea from him, scheduling games agianst Washington State in San Antonio in 2009 and in Orlando, Fla., in 2011 and 2014 against yet-to-be-named opponents.

Both were announced last week.

 

[johnnd05]

Yeah, BGS has been going crazy about all of this. Playing Oklahoma sounds cool, but it's a shame we can't leave the skunkbears on the schedule and just ditch SDSU or whomever.

 

[mlcspinner]

it's only for 2 yrs

 

[johnnd05]

it's only for 2 yrs

Yes that's right, but it's part of a bigger, more disturbing trend ...

 

[mlcspinner]

I take it you don't like the 7 - 4 - 1 format then.

 

[ACamp1900]

My respect for either is not comparable to ND of course but I must say, out of all the "top level" programs ND could play I have always respected UM and OU the most...

look forword to OU a ton!!

 

[johnnd05]

I take it you don't like the 7 - 4 - 1 format then.

Whatever, I haven't thought about it a ton but I think BGS makes good points. I think they had a line about "scheduling ourselves a National Championship", a strategy they attributed to Nebraska. If that's what we're trying to do, I don't like it. That said, I understand that the school wants money, and frankly it's our prerogative to schedule how we want.

 

[LOVEMYIRISH]

I think this was a great move on the part of the ND administration. Playing UM and MSU gets a bit stale. These are "even" swaps, but will get us in a couple different geographies.

ROCK ON!!!

 

[Irish93]

Personally, I'd like to see Miami come back on the schedule for a couple of years.

 

[irish4ever]

Personally, I'd like to see Miami come back on the schedule for a couple of years.

Me too. Not as a year-after-year opponent, but for 2 year home and away situation would be nice. I would also relish a ND-FSU 2 year schedule as well (not the same years as Miami though).

 

[KAPLAN]

I would much rather travel to Arizona St than Michigan St. Playing the same teams every year does get stale. I like playing different top teams from around the country.

 

[johnnd05]

I think the recurring rivalries are great; I'm all for mixing up our schedule ("barnstorming") as we always have, but in the old days it would have been Miami or Oklahoma instead of TCU, SDSU, Duke, or Stanford ...

 

[Sureal]

Personally, I'd like to see Miami come back on the schedule for a couple of years.

Absolutely...

I hated Miami so much in 88 that at the wise old age of 12 I said whoever beats Miami first will be my favorite team. (No lie!!!) I hated and I mean hated Steve Walsh (one of the many overrated QB's they had) and Cleveland Gary back then. The way their defense taunted and bullied everyone disgusted me. Especially them ugly Now and Later colors they have. I tell you, elation broke out in my living room when #15 Pat Terrell broke up that conversion. Tony Rice to this day is my favorite College Football Player of all time. Oh and yes, I have been hooked ever since...

So yeah bring them back.
With SC and Miami on the schedule the hatred will come full circle...

 

[pani_nasz]

Though coast-to-coast exposure is important for ND as it ascends to national powerhouse stature, I think it important that the school maintains a midwest Big Ten focus. Playing Purdue is a no brainer, inasmuch as a win entitles the victor to Indiana bragging rights. I would suggest alternating schedules with the Michigan schools, i.e., play U-M one year, MSU the next. That not only frees up a game on our schedule, it also ensures our presence in the market of an important border state.

 

[KAPLAN]

Colin Cowherd just hammered us for dropping Michigan and not playing Alabama.

 

[AlbuquerqueIrishFan]

Colin Cowherd just hammered us for dropping Michigan and not playing Alabama.

Yeah he did. He didn't even mention that they replaced them with OU and Arizona St.

 

[johnnd05]

Cowherd is an asshat ... the only guy worse is Jim Rome.

Sorry but I can't stop myself with the images today ...

 

[goirish#1]

Taking Michigan and MSU off the schedule is not cool! Do we really have to play Duke instead.

 

[KAPLAN]

Cowherd is an asshat ... the only guy worse is Jim Rome.

Sorry but I can't stop myself with the images today ...

I would rather listen to scratching on a chalkboard than Rome. He is terrible. He did forget that we basically replaced Michigan with Oklahoma. But telling people that would not have made the story interesting.

 

[NDSMC78]

Dropping Michigan and MSU. No room on the schedule for Alabama. White announcing that we will not schedule any more heavyweights. Agreeing to play WSU in San Antonio. It's all a very disturbing trend.

 

[LOVEMYIRISH]

Dropping Michigan and MSU. No room on the schedule for Alabama. White announcing that we will not schedule any more heavyweights. Agreeing to play WSU in San Antonio. It's all a very disturbing trend.

While announcing he would not ADD any on top of the ones we have. Calling OU anything but a heavyweight is underestimating them.