Notre Dame to the B1G Conference?

[BobbyMac]

Let’s go!!!!!!!

Nah, you'd still have us at 1-2.

 

[ACamp1900]

Nah, you'd still have us at 1-2.

But only losing by 17 now,…

LETSGO!!!

 

[BobbyMac]

But only losing by 17 now,…

LETSGO!!!

POTY candidate

I would've bet my life we'd have been in the B1G before we'd get a low +16.5 from Camp

 

[Old Man Mike]

Apologies if this is posted somewhere, but it seems that the B1G is now 16 teams structured sort of like:

1. West: USC, UCLA, Minnesota, IOWA, Wisconsin, Illinois, Nebraska, Northwestern
2. East: Rutgers, Maryland, Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue, Indiana

So, to me it would not be obvious where ND would "naturally" be placed, unless we knew what other colleges would join.
AND ... It doesn't seem obvious as to why the B1G would feel a need to expand beyond this 16, at least now.

But if they did, would they expand West to Oregon, California (Berkeley), Washington, Stanford,
or would they go East to Virginia, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Duke ?

Would make a lot of difference as to where ND would be placed. What is a reasonable size for the thing anyway?

It seems to me that one should play everyone in your own "side", which for the current B1G means seven games. Then one salts in a few from the other side to get to nine or ten games. If three of the other side, you only have two out-of-conference games. If you expand your conference further, you ultimately eliminate out-of-conference games. Size can isolate completely.

 

[Dale]

Would make a lot of difference as to where ND would be placed.

There probably won’t be divisions. ND will be in some 4-5 team pod with a protected rivalry/scheduling agreement that preserves the USC game.

 

[BobbyMac]

Apologies if this is posted somewhere, but it seems that the B1G is now 16 teams structured sort of like:

1. West: USC, UCLA, Minnesota, IOWA, Wisconsin, Illinois, Nebraska, Northwestern
2. East: Rutgers, Maryland, Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue, Indiana

So, to me it would not be obvious where ND would "naturally" be placed, unless we knew what other colleges would join.
AND ... It doesn't seem obvious as to why the B1G would feel a need to expand beyond this 16, at least now.

But if they did, would they expand West to Oregon, California (Berkeley), Washington, Stanford,
or would they go East to Virginia, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Duke ?

Would make a lot of difference as to where ND would be placed. What is a reasonable size for the thing anyway?

It seems to me that one should play everyone in your own "side", which for the current B1G means seven games. Then one salts in a few from the other side to get to nine or ten games. If three of the other side, you only have two out-of-conference games. If you expand your conference further, you ultimately eliminate out-of-conference games. Size can isolate completely.

Short term I agree with this but replace VT with GT.

Unlike VT, GT's an AAU member and the ATL market should be the holy grail besides UNC's hoops brand and owning NC.

 

[BobbyMac]

There probably won’t be divisions. ND will be in some 4-5 team pod with a protected rivalry/scheduling agreement that preserves the USC game.

ND/USC would be the B1G version of Bama/UTk in the SEC

 

[ShamrockOnHelmet]

I think the BIG needs something in Florida, something in Texas, and GT (Atlanta), plus ND, if they want to be a “national” conference. I think Miami and Texas AM would be pimp moves… (don’t underestimate how much A&M loathes Texas…)

 

[BobbyMac]

I think the BIG needs something in Florida, something in Texas, and GT (Atlanta), plus ND, if they want to be a “national” conference. I think Miami and Texas AM would be pimp moves… (don’t underestimate how much A&M loathes Texas…)

I've said it for years...

The B1G or what comes from the B1G will have UT or A&M or both, GT and now I guarantee they are talking to Florida as I type this.

And Jack Swarbrick will be the next B1G Commish.

 

[choo choo]

I've been a lifelong fan who grew up in South Bend, watched us win the 88' title as a 12 year old boy with his dad, and who has stuck by the team even in the darkest years (can anyone say Faust, Davie, Willingham, Weis, and losing to Tulsa?).

I've never wanted us to join a conference. Never. And it never seemed like a good move.

I am going on record (God have mercy) and declaring that for the first time it seems like joining the newly forming Big 20 is the best move for Notre Dame.

I don't care for it. But I am also looking forward to all that can be with conference affiliation.

There, I've said it . . . I can't wash the dirty feeling off

Well said sir. I've taken the same shower

 

[choo choo]

I think the BIG needs something in Florida, something in Texas, and GT (Atlanta), plus ND, if they want to be a “national” conference. I think Miami and Texas AM would be pimp moves… (don’t underestimate how much A&M loathes Texas…)

Central Florida and Orlando money?

 

[Blazers46]

I feel like I’m going to wake up and ND is going to be in the NFC North.

 

[TNUtoNotreDame]

I feel like I’m going to wake up and ND is going to be in the NFC North.

This silence is killing me...

 

[Sea Turtle]

Still black smoke....

 

[greyhammer90]

This silence is killing me...

The fact that we've not heard anything definitive at this point makes me pretty certain it's happening and the attorneys are working hard behind the scenes to get the paperwork in order and do due diligence checks on existing contracts and other reps and warranties.

I'm betting we join but we don't hear about it until Wednesday or Thursday next week. ND isn't so tone deaf that it will give up independence over the July 4th weekend.

 

[Blazers46]

$1B signing bonus or bust.

 

[ShamrockOnHelmet]

The fact that we've not heard anything definitive at this point makes me pretty certain it's happening and the attorneys are working hard behind the scenes to get the paperwork in order and do due diligence checks on existing contracts and other reps and warranties.

I'm betting we join but we don't hear about it until Wednesday or Thursday next week. ND isn't so tone deaf that it will give up independence over the July 4th weekend.

or maybe swarbrick is having LONG conversations with Chris Del Conte? 🤔

 

[Sea Turtle]

$1B signing bonus or bust.

Put us in the west and name it the Gold division or gtfo.

 

[TNUtoNotreDame]

The fact that we've not heard anything definitive at this point makes me pretty certain it's happening and the attorneys are working hard behind the scenes to get the paperwork in order and do due diligence checks on existing contracts and other reps and warranties.

I'm betting we join but we don't hear about it until Wednesday or Thursday next week. ND isn't so tone deaf that it will give up independence over the July 4th weekend.

Yep, if nothing was changing I assume very strongly we would hear "we're committed to the ACC declarations".

 

[AlaskanIrish]

Where is Rasputin at a time like this? Grace us with a post, dark lord of irony!

 

[GATTACA!]

Agree with nearly everything here. But ScUM is our biggest rival, IMHO. From over a century ago until now. We just play USC more often--and props to them for acknowledging that through ups and downs.

USC is our rival

Michigan is our enemy

Navy is our brother

 

[B1G20]

Apologies if this is posted somewhere, but it seems that the B1G is now 16 teams structured sort of like:

1. West: USC, UCLA, Minnesota, IOWA, Wisconsin, Illinois, Nebraska, Northwestern
2. East: Rutgers, Maryland, Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue, Indiana

So, to me it would not be obvious where ND would "naturally" be placed, unless we knew what other colleges would join.
AND ... It doesn't seem obvious as to why the B1G would feel a need to expand beyond this 16, at least now.

But if they did, would they expand West to Oregon, California (Berkeley), Washington, Stanford,
or would they go East to Virginia, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Duke ?

Would make a lot of difference as to where ND would be placed. What is a reasonable size for the thing anyway?

It seems to me that one should play everyone in your own "side", which for the current B1G means seven games. Then one salts in a few from the other side to get to nine or ten games. If three of the other side, you only have two out-of-conference games. If you expand your conference further, you ultimately eliminate out-of-conference games. Size can isolate completely.

Think you pretty much have to go divisions of five once you get to 20, and that appears to be where the B1G is heading. I posted this in the other thread, but my best guess would be something like this:

Pacific
USC
UCLA
Oregon
Washington
Stanford

Great Plains
Wisconsin
Nebraska
Iowa
Minnesota
Illinois

Great Lakes
Ohio State
Michigan
Michigan State
Purdue
Indiana

Atlantic
Penn State
Notre Dame
Northwestern
Maryland
Rutgers

The first 4 schools in the PAC are obviously USC/UCLA/Oregon/Washington. I'm not certain on the 5th, rumors are Cal/Stanford might just go Ivy League or drop football. If you can't get Stanford, Utah/Colorado/Arizona all meet the academic requirements for the B1G, plus add a whole new time zone for scheduling flexibility.

I'm not a Notre Dame fan, but the above division would make a lot of sense - regular games in Chicago and NYC, plus PSU as the every year rival. With 9 conference games you just rotate the division you play every year and that's your full schedule, win all the games and you go to the CCG.

The above wouldn't protect the USC game as an every year game though, perhaps the B1G would allow you to maintain that as a "non-conference" game in the 4 of 6 years the game wouldn't be on the conference schedule.

You'd have 3 non-cons available to schedule, I assume Navy, then at least one game in the south somewhere.

The above setup would preserve all critical B1G rivalries in division except NW/Illinois, but again, maybe the league office creates an exemption for that to be played as a "non-conference" game to protect it. Or just go to 10 conference games, but I kind of like 9 so you can keep 3 non-cons.

 

[FDNYIrish1]

TV markets and schools that fit the academics. Bay Area, South Florida, Boston, Seattle, Texas, Atlanta, and Denver. Plus ND.

 

[Irish du Nord]

Think you pretty much have to go divisions of five once you get to 20, and that appears to be where the B1G is heading. I posted this in the other thread, but my best guess would be something like this:

Pacific
USC
UCLA
Oregon
Washington
Stanford

Great Plains
Wisconsin
Nebraska
Iowa
Minnesota
Illinois

Great Lakes
Ohio State
Michigan
Michigan State
Purdue
Indiana

Atlantic
Penn State
Notre Dame
Northwestern
Maryland
Rutgers

The first 4 schools in the PAC are obviously USC/UCLA/Oregon/Washington. I'm not certain on the 5th, rumors are Cal/Stanford might just go Ivy League or drop football. If you can't get Stanford, Utah/Colorado/Arizona all meet the academic requirements for the B1G, plus add a whole new time zone for scheduling flexibility.

I'm not a Notre Dame fan, but the above division would make a lot of sense - regular games in Chicago and NYC, plus PSU as the every year rival. With 9 conference games you just rotate the division you play every year and that's your full schedule, win all the games and you go to the CCG.

The above wouldn't protect the USC game as an every year game though, perhaps the B1G would allow you to maintain that as a "non-conference" game in the 4 of 6 years the game wouldn't be on the conference schedule.

You'd have 3 non-cons available to schedule, I assume Navy, then at least one game in the south somewhere.

The above setup would preserve all critical B1G rivalries in division except NW/Illinois, but again, maybe the league office creates an exemption for that to be played as a "non-conference" game to protect it. Or just go to 10 conference games, but I kind of like 9 so you can keep 3 non-cons.

If everyone whines about our schedule now, I can’t imagine how bad it will be if we are in the above division. Charmin soft right there.

 

[Wild Bill]

If everyone whines about our schedule now, I can’t imagine how bad it will be if we are in the above division. Charmin soft right there.

Think about how exciting an Atlantic game would be in South Bend when Rutgers comes to town.

 

[B1G20]

My point is, divisions of 5 are the likely way it goes if it gets to 20, ND could be in the Pacific division to lock in the USC game annually too, could make sense if Stanford is a no and they add Colorado or Utah or something.

But I imagine the divisions will be formed with an emphasis on competitive balance and preserving rivalries - so I'd think the middle two are pretty close to what they'll look like.

It's also possible there would be no divisions, but that seems like a dumpster fire waiting to happen at 20 - you'd have all kinds of weird tiebreakers determining the conference champs.

 

[laughingirish90]

can't believe so many in this thread have Jack getting in panic mode already and agreeing to join the big ten

 

[Dale]

can't believe so many in this thread have Jack getting in panic mode already and agreeing to join the big ten

What’s the alternative?

 

[TNUtoNotreDame]

can't believe so many in this thread have Jack getting in panic mode already and agreeing to join the big ten

No panic mode at all. I believe that Jack knew this was coming. We (ND) have a great longstanding relationship with USC. The whole two hemisphere quip Jack made a couple months back means more now than ever. ND will not panic, but we will lay the ground work if it needs to be laid.

I am not a Jack fan, but I have to give him create for being connected with people that are important across the landscape of college sports.

 

[NDRock]

if they can get a southern presence it would be much more attractive. That 20 team lineup still isn’t that great even with those Western schools.