Time for new partner: Big 10 or SEC?

[Dale]

I realize it varies a bit but this year we played six ACC teams - half the schedule.
Of the other half, there was USC, who we'd play in the Big 10, and Navy, who we could keep playing OOC. And then A&M (the marquee OOC game), Purdue (Big Ten), Arkansas (whatever), Boise (fun, but also whatever).
So if we have USC, Purdue, Sparty and a pick six of Big Ten teams, plus A&M, Navy and one more, that seems like a fine schedule, no?

Sure, but peel it away and it’s more like:

9 minus (next year)

+ SC
+ Wisconsin
+ MSU
+ Purdue

So really it’s a wash in terms of our ACC obligations vs Additional B1G schools. And I’d rather see us play 5 more B1G opponents than the shit roulette we get from the ACC.

The point isn’t really that Michigan State sounds better than North Carolina in a given year or what 2025/2026 happened to look like opponent wise. I don’t like getting comfortable with the idea of we aren’t really Independent, what’s a few more conference games. It’s a substantial change to our schedule freedom, and that’s only the start of it. I would be completely against joining the B1G in any structure that isn’t Super League-esque via the ACC falling.

 

[stlnd01]

Plenty of Big 10 teams had as shitty SOS as us. It’s not a sure thing it would improve by joining.

I would need several years of getting fucked like this to be convinced to join.

I thought so too at first.
But according to ESPN's SOS rankings, where we were #44, only Maryland and Nebraska were behind us in the Big Ten, and there were seven Big Ten schools in the top 20. With the ACC, only four (Syracuse, Stanford, NC State and Va Tech) were ranked ahead of us. Several ACC schools (including both Duke and UVA) were in the 70s and 80s.

2025 Resume College Football Power Index - ESPN

View the 2025 Resume College Football power index on ESPN. The FPI is the best predictor of a team's performance of the season.

www.espn.com

Even if ESPN's rankings aren't the end-all and be-all, they are the ones they put on screen during all the rankings shows.

 

[NDPhilly]

Our 2026 ACC slate is interesting imo. It’s a shame UNC isn’t competent (maybe they will be), but this is a great mix of rivalries / general program strength / geographies.

UNC
Syracuse
BC
Miami
SMU

 

[pumpdog20]

I'm going to be honest, it would be difficult for me to dislike any scheduling model more than our current setup. So tired of playing extremely boring ACC schools half the year. FSU/Miami were the only schools in the conference that came with any built in juice. Miami has dodged us so often that they are a non-factor and they won't come to South Bend, and FSU has been a joke essentially every year.

Not too difficult... imagine the same setup but with the B12.

 

[Dale]

Our 2026 ACC slate is interesting imo. It’s a shame UNC isn’t competent (maybe they will be), but this is a great mix of rivalries / general program strength / geographies.

UNC
Syracuse
BC
Miami
SMU

People have been shitting on the 2026 schedule like SMU isn’t 14 - 3 in ACC play.

 

[stlnd01]

Our 2026 ACC slate is interesting imo. It’s a shame UNC isn’t competent (maybe they will be), but this is a great mix of rivalries / general program strength / geographies.

UNC
Syracuse
BC
Miami
SMU

I assume we also play Stanford?
But, yes, looking forward to that SMU game, contemplating a trip to UNC, and Miami at home (at night, I presume) in November should be a classic. It'll be a good way to close out our time with the ACC.

 

[TNUtoNotreDame]

People have been shitting on the 2026 schedule like SMU isn’t 14 - 3 in ACC play.

The only issue is it’s ACC play. The conference is a pile.

 

[greyhammer90]

I assume we also play Stanford?
But, yes, looking forward to that SMU game, contemplating a trip to UNC, and Miami at home (at night, I presume) in November should be a classic. It'll be a good way to close out our time with the ACC.

Late November next year would be a good time to hand deliver another letter like we did to Michigan.

 

[pumpdog20]

Late November next year would be a good time to hand deliver another letter like we did to Michigan.

Man, this would be freaking awesome.

 

[Dale]

The only issue is it’s ACC play. The conferences a pile.

Right. We get basically the best they can offer currently (SMU and Miami) and the universal response is wow ND easy schedule. Yeah cause the ACC is a bunch of turds.

SMU will be the annual Top 20 upset special that ends by the 1H.

 

[KPENN]

Right. We get basically the best they can offer currently (SMU and Miami) and the universal response is wow ND easy schedule. Yeah cause the ACC is a bunch of turds.

SMU will be the annual Top 20 upset special that ends by the 1H.

“Look for SMU to keep this one close and I think they sneak out a win here”

“Well yeah of course Notre Dame won 34-7. It’s SMU”

 

[NDPhilly]

Part of the issue with the bottom of the ACC is that they have been so so bad that they aren’t rated just in the 40s and 50s, you’ve got Syracuse, UNC, BC, Stanford, VT, and Cal who were all outside the Sargarin top 70 this year. Just absolutely nukes the SOS since it’s essentially an average.

 

[greyhammer90]

“Look for SMU to keep this one close and I think they sneak out a win here”

“Well yeah of course Notre Dame won 34-7. It’s SMU”

 

[TorontoGold]

“Look for SMU to keep this one close and I think they sneak out a win here”

“Well yeah of course Notre Dame won 34-7. It’s SMU”

And then two weeks later

“Alabama is 6-2, but has wins over Missouri #9 and when they played (but is now 5-3) and Tennessee #14 (4-4). We should expect to see them in contention for hosting a home game.”

 

[Wild Bill]

Wow. As a lifelong ND fan and a Duke alum I must say I'm astonished at the ignorance of so many of the posts on this thread. Do you seriously think that either the B1G or the SEC covet ND as a "business partner" in an arrangement that preserves football independence? Really? That is delusional. All the P4 conference would love to have ND as a full member, no question. But only the ACC and the Big 12 would cut the deal y'all seem to want.
And your anger toward the ACC is ridiculous. Of course, the ACC is going to lobby for its member, and no doubt it was unhappy that it had to be at the expense of its self-described "business partner." But a duty is a duty for crying out loud. It was ND who chose to be the ACC's girlfriend but not on Saturday night, and now it throws a fit when the ACC has another date for Saturday night?
And yes, the Irish deserved a spot and got jobbed. But not by Miami, which was also deserving, or the ACC, but by the Committee that put its thumb on the scale in favor of the SEC's Alabama. So, what is your response? To a lot of you, it is a bizarre let's change dance partners to the SEC -- the conference that jobbed you and does not want the relationship to which you think you are entitled.
Holy smoke, gents. Not a good look.

The only Duke football fan on the planet found our little forum. Pretty cool.

 

[MrNimbus]

It's amazing how quickly our beatdown of sec champ georgia last year gets forgotten. I get that last year was last year. But everyone keeps acting like the sec is some juggernaut that's won 10 straight national titles.

 

[IrishTusker]

Wow. As a lifelong ND fan and a Duke alum I must say I'm astonished at the ignorance of so many of the posts on this thread. Do you seriously think that either the B1G or the SEC covet ND as a "business partner" in an arrangement that preserves football independence? Really? That is delusional. All the P4 conference would love to have ND as a full member, no question. But only the ACC and the Big 12 would cut the deal y'all seem to want.
And your anger toward the ACC is ridiculous. Of course, the ACC is going to lobby for its member, and no doubt it was unhappy that it had to be at the expense of its self-described "business partner." But a duty is a duty for crying out loud. It was ND who chose to be the ACC's girlfriend but not on Saturday night, and now it throws a fit when the ACC has another date for Saturday night?
And yes, the Irish deserved a spot and got jobbed. But not by Miami, which was also deserving, or the ACC, but by the Committee that put its thumb on the scale in favor of the SEC's Alabama. So, what is your response? To a lot of you, it is a bizarre let's change dance partners to the SEC -- the conference that jobbed you and does not want the relationship to which you think you are entitled.
Holy smoke, gents. Not a good look.

Why didn't the ACC powers that be change the tiebreaker? Everyone could see this problem during the season. That would have protected Miami and avoided a confrontation with ND. They didn't, preferring instead to start an anti-ND campaign and collude with the SEC to keep ND out. The ACC screwed up, and it screwed ND.

 

[MrNimbus]

Wow. As a lifelong ND fan and a Duke alum I must say I'm astonished at the ignorance of so many of the posts on this thread. Do you seriously think that either the B1G or the SEC covet ND as a "business partner" in an arrangement that preserves football independence? Really? That is delusional. All the P4 conference would love to have ND as a full member, no question. But only the ACC and the Big 12 would cut the deal y'all seem to want.
And your anger toward the ACC is ridiculous. Of course, the ACC is going to lobby for its member, and no doubt it was unhappy that it had to be at the expense of its self-described "business partner." But a duty is a duty for crying out loud. It was ND who chose to be the ACC's girlfriend but not on Saturday night, and now it throws a fit when the ACC has another date for Saturday night?
And yes, the Irish deserved a spot and got jobbed. But not by Miami, which was also deserving, or the ACC, but by the Committee that put its thumb on the scale in favor of the SEC's Alabama. So, what is your response? To a lot of you, it is a bizarre let's change dance partners to the SEC -- the conference that jobbed you and does not want the relationship to which you think you are entitled.
Holy smoke, gents. Not a good look.

Lol, OK "lifelong nd fan" that just joined today.

 

[Cackalacky2.0]

And then two weeks later

“Alabama is 6-2, but has wins over Missouri #9 and when they played (but is now 5-3) and Tennessee #14 (4-4). We should expect to see them in contention for hosting a home game.”

“And the game ends with Georgia victory. Bama came up short tonight” -Fowler

“Bama had established their run game in the last two weeks but tonight they were just finding yards on the ground hard to come by”
-Herbstteit

 

[NumbersGuy0520]

Why didn't the ACC powers that be change the tiebreaker? Everyone could see this problem during the season. That would have protected Miami and avoided a confrontation with ND. They didn't, preferring instead to start an anti-ND campaign and collude with the SEC to keep ND out. The ACC screwed up, and it screwed ND.

Tinfoil hat theory: maybe they already knew the committee had them protected? Sure, Miami would have been locked in if they won the ACC championship game, but changing the title game at the end of the regular season would be a terrible look.

But if they already knew that it would work out if BYU lost…

 

[NDPhilly]

I listened to the whole thing from Pete and Matt and they were somehow bigger doomers than usual.

Matt especially seems to think Pete B (AD) has no plan and is making rash decisions he’ll regret. Sampson more reserved on it.

Look, I didn’t love the press conference either, but I think if you read between the lines it was very obvious what he was trying to do. He’s walking a tight rope in stating his high level grievances with the ACC while maintaining good standing with the other power conferences and ESPN.

 

[greyhammer90]

Why didn't the ACC powers that be change the tiebreaker? Everyone could see this problem during the season. That would have protected Miami and avoided a confrontation with ND. They didn't, preferring instead to start an anti-ND campaign and collude with the SEC to keep ND out. The ACC screwed up, and it screwed ND.

My genuine opinion is that they consider it a feature, not a bug. From the ACC's perspective if Miami is a bubble team and is their champion, they get their one autobid in the playoff. But if Miami is a bubble team and is kept out of the championship game through stupidity, this means they potentially have two teams in. One is a bubble team (Miami) and one is the autobid (Virginia).

The only thing that went wrong for them was that Duke beat Virginia. If Virginia wins they have Virginia in as an autobid and a media machine going full bore saying that Miami should be in too. Now I think the way the season worked out this year, Miami would have been left out if Virginia had won. But I think the strategy is there and it is sound (but devious).

 

[TorontoGold]

“And the game ends with Georgia victory. Bama came up short tonight” -Fowler

“Bama had established their run game in the last two weeks but tonight they were just finding yards on the ground hard to come by”
-Herbstteit

“You know what Herbie? People are just not talking enough about how much interest Mateer is generating. Look at all of these CFL scouts at the games. Oklahoma is an international brand, and as such should be in the playoffs.” - ESPN local reporter Jimmy McBoobtits

 

[sfk324]

Not too difficult... imagine the same setup but with the B12.

The Big 12 is a nonstarter after their commissioner decided he needed to say PB is out of line despite the very tame comments to date. Their 3rd rate conference can get fucked, too.

 

[Nor’easter]

IDK if we partner with the Big Ten for SEC, but either way, can we get this clown on the schedule?

Didn’t beat a team with a winning record by the way. P4 or G5. Gets used as a resume enhancer for Bama boosters as one of the 4 top twenty teams that made the tides so amazing. There’s more than one layer of chicanery that went on to Alabama in besides the Miami headfake

 

[IRISHDODGER]

It's amazing how quickly our beatdown of sec champ georgia last year gets forgotten. I get that last year was last year. But everyone keeps acting like the sec is some juggernaut that's won 10 straight national titles.

What’s ironic is Bama is now the fanbase living in the past. Lucky for them it’s the recent past but if they can’t get their shit together quickly they could devolve back to the Dubose/Franchione/Price/Shula days faster than they think.

 

[ReesusCrist]

I listened to the whole thing from Pete and Matt and they were somehow bigger doomers than usual.

Matt especially seems to think Pete B (AD) has no plan and is making rash decisions he’ll regret. Sampson more reserved on it.

Look, I didn’t love the press conference either, but I think if you read between the lines it was very obvious what he was trying to do. He’s walking a tight rope in stating his high level grievances with the ACC while maintaining good standing with the other power conferences and ESPN.

I think the average IE poster is more plugged in than Fortuna, so I don't put much stock in his opinions on the program. Oh, he thinks that the AD, who has spent years on the other side of the media rights negotiation table, is making rash decisions? I know where my trust lies on this one...

 

[Nor’easter]

This big 12 talk is gross. At least the ACC has Miami, Clemson, and FSU. Brands you can pretend are top shelf.

The Big 12 has... Deion?

It’s the Mountain West east slope

 

[Mike Petrik]

Hi Michael.

As a very proud Duke alum, can you please explain to me in which case a month long public tour of calling out a partner or even a competitor unworthy of a position you covet to be a normal endeavor?

I'd like to clarify your point on the ACC "lobbying". Maybe I'm not travelling in the same circles as a Duke alum would be, but down in the lowly gutters in which I operate, lobbying is usually done by emphasizing your own strengths. Typically, it's seen as uncouth.

As a commoner, I typically like to cultivate mutually beneficial relationships in which we both can thrive. But, if I see that this partner is running me down within our industry, and isn't really seen as a beacon of a well run entity itself, I would be inclined to seek other arrangements.

Maybe it's a learned trait, or, a behavior that hasn't been bestowed upon myself like it was to you, but I can't understand the want to be publicly antagonized and demeaned by your partner when there was a much more egregious ranking of teams in front of them that they could point to. Maybe it would have been more beneficial for them to mention how great one of their own members Florida State University (FSU for the simple folk) had such a lopsided win over Alabama.

Warmest regards,

Simpleton.

Sure, since you so politely asked. When it comes down between two teams, the analysis, and therefore the lobbying, is inevitably comparative. And in the ACC's effort there is no way to avoid emphasizing its member's best case, which is its head-to-head win over ND. It is this emphasis that you characterize as running down, antagonizing, and demeaning, and I think such a characterization is over-the-top. I'm confident that the ACC was unhappy to be in this position, which it was put into the moment the Committee signaled it was going to protect an unworthy Alabama, and of course the ACC had zero to do with that protection and for obvious reasons probably argued against it. But once Alabama was in, the ACC's duty to its member informed its behavior, and it was not going to demean and antagonize it by not honoring its duty. I don't blame ND for feeling jobbed. It was. But it was not jobbed by the ACC. It was jobbed by the Committee's decision to protect Alabama. The bottom line is that while both Miami and ND imperfect resumes, both had good cases and deserved invitations. It was Alabama that didn't.

 

[Mike Petrik]

Why didn't the ACC powers that be change the tiebreaker? Everyone could see this problem during the season. That would have protected Miami and avoided a confrontation with ND. They didn't, preferring instead to start an anti-ND campaign and collude with the SEC to keep ND out. The ACC screwed up, and it screwed ND.

What? Change the tiebreaker rules mid-season or after the fact? You cannot seriously mean that. But I do think they are likely to change the rules now, though I would note the other conference tiebreaker rules are not meaningfully different. On its face the rules seem pretty fair, but all rules are imperfect and can lead to uncomfortable results. I'd also note that no one would be complaining if Duke's out of conference schedule had included any of JMU's opponents instead of Tulane, Illinois and Connecticut.