Irish to possibly join Conference?

[UPMich_NDfan]

ESPN just published this on their website. Interesting, almost seems like Swarbrick is laying the foundation for something to happen...

Notre Dame Fighting Irish athletic director: Conference expansions could end our football independence - ESPN

NEW YORK -- Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick says the possible expansion of the Big Ten could create changes in major college football that force the Fighting Irish to give up their football independence.

The Big Ten and Pac-10 have both said they are exploring the possibility of adding schools.

Swarbrick says that looming realignment changes could be "relatively small ... or they could be seismic."

While Notre Dame prefers to remain independent in football, Swarbrick says, he and university president Rev. John Jenkins will evaluate whatever changes occur and assess how they effect the Fighting Irish.

Swarbrick told reporters Tuesday morning: "You can each come up with a scenario that would force our hand."

 

[NDOM]

And you believe this because Espn published it???? no offense dude but I dont trust ANYTHING Espn says. Especially about us.

 

[BirdmanND06]

the New York Times is reporting this as well

Notre Dame Considers Not Going It Alone - The Quad Blog - NYTimes.com

 

[UPMich_NDfan]

Not saying I believe it, just thought it was interesting. And now another pretty reliable source is reporting the same.

I'm not saying I think it will happen for sure, just seems like Jack is laying some groundwork. Why would he even be talking about it if its not a strong possibility?

 

[fitz_bu47]

We will be independent as long as it is beneficial to the University, if every conference is gonna go to 12 teams and play a title game, and it would hurt ND, than they will join one......Smart guys are running the show, they will decide when it's right to make a move.

 

[Lou Holtz]

I wouldn't be surprised if this happened

 

[mgriff]

If this seismic change does come about and you end up with the four superconferences everyone is talking about, Notre Dame will be in one. While I'm not looking forward to it, conforming would be the only sane option. Realistically, it would be the Big Ten and they would have to allow us to play USC every year. We would prolly drop the Stanford game for the Legends Trophy, and BC for the Ireland trophy(which already seems to be happening after this year). So ultimately we would keep USC and prolly renew our rivalry with Penn St. Overall, it would be interesting to see ND in a conference, but I will throw a shit fit if I can't see them on TV every week.

 

[DirtySecret]

If this seismic change does come about and you end up with the four superconferences everyone is talking about, Notre Dame will be in one. While I'm not looking forward to it, conforming would be the only sane option. Realistically, it would be the Big Ten and they would have to allow us to play USC every year. We would prolly drop the Stanford game for the Legends Trophy, and BC for the Ireland trophy(which already seems to be happening after this year). So ultimately we would keep USC and prolly renew our rivalry with Penn St. Overall, it would be interesting to see ND in a conference, but I will throw a shit fit if I can't see them on TV every week.

No lets drop every team off our schedule even USC and play teams like Charleston Southern while justifying our "tough" conference schedule on why we play FCS teams. Sorry, the day ND joins a conference is the day I quit following ND. I love ND for it's unique schedule of teams.. If they join the Big whatever a lot of the recruiting is going be nothing but midwest recruits because you lose a selling point to prospects from the south and west on how you face teams like Oklahoma, USC, FSU, Tennessee, ect. Which was a big selling point to Theo Riddick, he like the fact that ND played unique a schedule. Joining the Big whatever will weaking there schedule than help it..

 

[johnnykillz]

Ahhh BS!

 

[MeanGreen]

First let me say I hate these super-conferences. They have ruined football. I think if the Big Ten and Pac 10 both go to 12 and somehow the Big East keeps 12. We are going to have scheduling issues. Swarbrick and Jenkins know this. If the conference require 8, 9 or 10 conference games the non-conference games will be an issue. Schools will want winnable games and putting money in their pockets. Home and home series may not fit their plans. People on boards are screaming over the like of Nevada, Western Michigan on the schedule now. What will happen when those teams or lesser quality are regulars. I love our independence and would hate to see it taken away, but unless someone adopts the opposite position about conferences its time may be coming to an end.

The attempt to make football like basketball with conference championships and automatic berths and a playoff just won't work. Basketball team can play 3 times a week in the regular season, football can't. You can basically stage a 65 team tournament over 10 days over a 3 week period. Couldn't do that in football. Basketball uses an RPI, football disregards computer type rating in favor of coaches and writers.

 

[DirtySecret]

First let me say I hate these super-conferences. They have ruined football. I think if the Big Ten and Pac 10 both go to 12 and somehow the Big East keeps 12. We are going to have scheduling issues. Swarbrick and Jenkins know this. If the conference require 8, 9 or 10 conference games the non-conference games will be an issue. Schools will want winnable games and putting money in their pockets. Home and home series may not fit their plans. People on boards are screaming over the like of Nevada, Western Michigan on the schedule now. What will happen when those teams or lesser quality are regulars. I love our independence and would hate to see it taken away, but unless someone adopts the opposite position about conferences its time may be coming to an end.

The attempt to make football like basketball with conference championships and automatic berths and a playoff just won't work. Basketball team can play 3 times a week in the regular season, football can't. You can basically stage a 65 team tournament over 10 days over a 3 week period. Couldn't do that in football. Basketball uses an RPI, football disregards computer type rating in favor of coaches and writers.

I would just get tired of watching ND beat up on the same old teams. Atleast in the SEC you have a handful of teams that will give you a run for it's money. In the Big Ten it's same old, same old, PSU and tOSU. I just think ND joining the Big Ten hurts them.

 

[johnnykillz]

Is the Big-10 our only hope?

In the nightmarish scenario that we have to join a conference...

 

[BirdmanND06]

The Big 10 or Big East would seem to be the only logical choices. There are advantages and disadvantages to joining a conference, but I don't see playing fewer schools as a big disadvantage. After all, we pretty much play a set "conference" schedule every year with scUM, U$C, MSU, BC, Navy, and a couple others, so changing out a couple of those names doesn't really make a big difference to me. For me, one advantage of joining a conference would be that we would get rid of the current situation of national championship or bust, which I think hurts us with recruits more than our national scheduling helps us. On the other hand, if joining a conference means that we loose our TV deal, than that's a dealbreaker. I need to see my Irish on TV.

 

[johnnykillz]

I need to see my Irish on TV.

Amen.

 

[DirtySecret]

The Big 10 or Big East would seem to be the only logical choices. There are advantages and disadvantages to joining a conference, but I don't see playing fewer schools as a big disadvantage. After all, we pretty much play a set "conference" schedule every year with scUM, U$C, MSU, BC, Navy, and a couple others, so changing out a couple of those names doesn't really make a big difference to me. For me, one advantage of joining a conference would be that we would get rid of the current situation of national championship or bust, which I think hurts us with recruits more than our national scheduling helps us. On the other hand, if joining a conference means that we loose our TV deal, than that's a dealbreaker. I need to see my Irish on TV.

Isn't that every big schools mentality? Winning conference titles really don't mean jacksquat and is only a foot note in the pages of that schools history. Winning conference title is like kissing your cousin.

 

[Ultimate Penn St. Hater]

I would love to beat Penn St. every year, but I'm not sure if I would like to see ND join a conference.

 

[HereComeTheIrish]

I need to see my Irish on TV.

Amen.

That's what I'm screamin...

 

[Ultimate Penn St. Hater]

I heard Paterno is pushing for either Eastern Illinois, Toledo, Temple, Indiana St., and/or Kent State to be added to the Big Ten.

 

[DirtySecret]

I heard Paterno is pushing for either Eastern Illinois, Toledo, Temple, Indiana St., and/or Kent State to be added to the Big Ten.

Well Paterno is not known as a great business man. He rather beat up on mid majors than have competition. We all know how he does against teams like USC.

 

[BirdmanND06]

Isn't that every big schools mentality? Winning conference titles really don't mean jacksquat and is only a foot note in the pages of that schools history. Winning conference title is like kissing your cousin.

I don't think this is the case at all, especially in a BCS system where five teams went undefeated last year and three didn't have the opportunity to play for a national championship.

 

[Chamellion]

Hope that this happens, so I can have an inter-household rivalry with my bro. And he can have a reason to come to ND in full penn state stuff, and i can stick him right in the middle of the student sect. Good times.

 

[DirtySecret]

I don't think this is the case at all, especially in a BCS system where five teams went undefeated last year and three didn't have the opportunity to play for a national championship.

How many years out of the BCS system have we had 5 undefeated teams? How many times do you expect that is going to happen in years to come?

 

[irishtrain]

may this never happen

may this never happen

I can tell by Jacks line of talk he may be saying folks its inevitable if everything falls in a seismic way with other things going on. It makes me sad-what conference is a good fit- not one, not any. A conference gets the crown jewel of college football and Notre Dame gets to belong to the Big Ten, ACC, Big East----BIG DEAL. To lose your legacy is never good and I can look forward to conference games with Minnesota, Northwestern or Virginia, Maryland or oh yes those games with Louisville, West Virginia. Yes everyone will say they would beat you but thats not the point. This whole thing is so $$$$$ driven that it makes me want to puke---Notre Dame will try to maintain the same standards its always conducted themselves by and be playing teams that dont give a crap about anything but their conference and winning football games in the best semi-pro manner they can. If this happens college football looses out on a national icon brought to its knees by their interpretation of the status quo. Note to Brian Kelly your job just got a lot hotter-winning cures these issues unless he's in favor of us joining the BIG East. I am not in favor of this by any explaination.

 

[DirtySecret]

I can tell by Jacks line of talk he may be saying folks its inevitable if everything falls in a seismic way with other things going on. It makes me sad-what conference is a good fit- not one, not any. A conference gets the crown jewel of college football and Notre Dame gets to belong to the Big Ten, ACC, Big East----BIG DEAL. To lose your legacy is never good and I can look forward to conference games with Minnesota, Northwestern or Virginia, Maryland or oh yes those games with Louisville, West Virginia. Yes everyone will say they would beat you but thats not the point. This whole thing is so $$$$$ driven that it makes me want to puke---Notre Dame will try to maintain the same standards its always conducted themselves by and be playing teams that dont give a crap about anything but their conference and winning football games in the best semi-pro manner they can. If this happens college football looses out on a national icon brought to its knees by their interpretation of the status quo. Note to Brian Kelly your job just got a lot hotter-winning cures these issues unless he's in favor of us joining the BIG East. I am not in favor of this by any explaination.

 

[irishtrain]

I'll take it one step further, talking about a tee shirt for next year-Win-to keep your legacy.

 

[Honey Nut Irish]

I think eventually the conference championship games will be for berths into a playoff. Even if that doesn't happen ND is going to need to find something to do on championship weekend while the USCs, OSUs, and UFs are padding their BCS resumes. ND will have to join a conference eventually.

I don't think now is the time, but 10 years from now it might be a necessity.

 

[dshans]

Originally Posted by BirdmanND06
"I need to see my Irish on TV."

Originally Posted by johnnykillz
"Amen."

That's what I'm screamin...

Perzacktly, gentlemenses!

Sadly, the way of conferences (and the schools that belong to them) is to more and more pursue the "follow the money" philosophy ... to the detriment of many fans. What might be the state of college football should every conference create their own cable/satellite network as the Big Ten and the Big East have? (Does the SEC have one up and running or is it still in the planning stage? The PAC 10? The Big 12? The ACC, WAC, etc.?). All require a subscription payment, yet do nothing to eliminate the commercials that fully fund the "free" over-the-air broadcasts of CBS, NBC and ABC. ESPN and its iterations are an alternative at times but they, too, are "pay per view." A lucrative carrot to dangle. Double dipping nonetheless. And antithetical to (old fart) RKG's like me who view spending a cool thou a year for 75 or so hours (I include b-ball in my number crunching) of games is money ill spent.
I miss the good old days when ND wasn't a (nearly) stand-alone division 1 independent. When the likes of ND, Penn State, Miami, FSU, et al. were unfettered by conference requirements college football was much more fluid. Scheduling five years out was a crap shoot, but when the stars aligned it was electric. Exclusive broadcast deals for pay may well enrich the coffers of many a school, but deprive many a fan. Conference constrictions on scheduling games, whether due to the limited number of out-of-conference dates available or the broadcast rights allowed, are antithetical to free wheeling competition and "rivalries," however fleeting or sporadically interesting.
Notre Dame's long and short standing rivalries are clearly not conference related. ND is not a member of the Big Ten or the PAC 10. Navy is one of the few independents still standing. I'd love to see a "market" that has the Irish playing FSU, Miami (FL), Texas and others more regularly. On "free" TV. I'd throw 'Bama into that mix, but I like being able to say "ND 4, Bear Bryant 0" and would hate to have that [shit-eating-grin-producing] fun spoiled. I'd risk our unbeaten "streak" against the Crimson Tide if it meant that I could avoid having to pay a "conference premium" to follow the Irish on TV.

 

[irishmarine]

What about our history and pride? I never want to join a conference! Ever we can still playin national championship but we have to start winning most of our games again.

 

[ryno 24]

The irish need to stay independent because that is part of who we are
It is tradition we have so many rivals that going into a conference would lose that I am just saying that i dont want to join the big ten

 

[Ben E.]

bcs!!!

bcs!!!

what i took from his statement is that they would join a conferance ONLY if the bcs trys to freeze us out of A.)the money $$$ b.) the national championship process. thats all...the sky is not falling! jack will fight for the status quo as it pertains to our relationship with the bcs.