What a ND B1G schedule might look like

[OSU_Buckeyes]

I was just looking over Notre Dame's schedule and noticed that if ND ever joined the Big Ten, they would pretty much be able to keep all existing rivalries in tact if they were placed in the Legends Division and given a protected crossover game with Purdue. The Big Ten - PAC 12 agreement could be applied as well concerning either USC or Stanford and would still leave room on the schedule to play the other in a game seperate from that agreement. There would still be room on the schedule for Navy. That would hit all of the Irish's yearly rivalries. In addition, there would be room to schedule semi-regular rivals such as Army, Air Force, Boston College.

Here would be a potential Big Ten schedule as a member of the Legends Divison:



Navy

USC

Stanford

Army/Air Force/Boston College/rotating game against any other non-league team ND wanted to schedule

Penn State/Ohio State/Indiana/Illinois/Wisconsin/TBD 14th league team. - This would be a rotating conference game each year against a Leaders Division team, including whomever would be the 14th league member.

Purdue

Iowa

Northwestern

Nebraska

Minnesota

Michigan

Michigan State

If the Big Ten remained at 8 league games, it seems like a perfect fit for Notre Dame being able to join the conference AND maintain traditional football rivalries. You could create the schedule so that Notre Dame always begins and ends the season with Navy, USC or Stanford. You could have Notre Dame - USC in the final week with Ohio State - Michigan, Nebraska - Iowa, etc.

The only flaw I see with this plan is that all non-league rivalries would require home and away games, meaning Notre Dame would not have a 7th home game in any given season under the traditional 12 game season. But with the way college football is about big money any more, it might be realistic that the regular season is expanded by 1 or 2 weeks in the future.

The only question I cannot answer would be who to add to the Leaders Division to balance out the divisions that would be on par with Notre Dame to keep the Divisions as evenly competative as possible.

Other than the protected crossover with Purdue, the rest of the Leaders Division would play ND twice every 12 years. That would add change to the schedule and provide for some intriguing matchups that are not year in and year out.

Besides current rivals Michigan and Michigan State in the Legends Division, Notre Dame could have an instant rivalry with Northwestern in all sports as Northwestern is also a private school and would be a great regional rivalry for Chicago. Nebraska would be a huge yearly matchup, and ND does have some long ago history with the Cornhuskers, as well as Minnesota and Iowa.

I think its safe to say that most - if not all - of Notre Dame's games would be on ABC or ESPN - or whomever acquires the rights to Big Ten games in the future. The Big Ten Network would be there to air replays of the games.

I also think its safe to say that both Notre Dame and the Big Ten will greatly increase revenues if this played out.

Again, these are only my thoughts. Not saying it will happen, but it all just kind of hit me when looking at Notre Dame's schedule and realizing what could happen by placing them in the Legends Division with a protected crossover game against Purdue and including the Big Ten - PAC 12 arrangement that will happen in future years.

 

[OrlaNDomer]

No thanks.

 

[Cali_domer]

I would rather join the SEC.

 

[Buster Bluth]

I would rather join the SEC.

I doubt it.

I favor Notre Dame's current situation more than I do joining the Big Ten. But I wouldn't mind joining the Big Ten, if it caused Notre Dame to restart its wrestling program.

 

[Cali_domer]

In all seriousness I would want to join the ACC not the Big Ten.... I hate the Big Ten with a passion of a thousand and one suns.

 

[IrishInFl]

No.

 

[NDFan4Life]

Screw the Big 10.

They had their chance, they blew it.

 

[anarin]

F that in the A, that's what I say.

 

[Veer option]

Rather be a skunkbear.

 

[OSU_Buckeyes]

In all seriousness I would want to join the ACC not the Big Ten.... I hate the Big Ten with a passion of a thousand and one suns.

If ND joined the ACC or SEC, it wouldn't be possible to maintain all long-standing rivalries because there wouldn't be enough open weeks of non-league play to be able to schedule USC, Stanford, Navy, Michigan, Michigan State, and Purdue while maintaining a full ACC schedule. I would think ND would want to maintain as much tradition as possible if it were no longer an independent school.

The B1G also has the added benefit of the CIC - Committee on Institutional Cooperation - which is a finanical windfall for the academic side of the B1G institutions. CIC members engage in $6 billion in funded research, receiving some 12 percent of the total federal research funds awarded annually (18 percent of the National Science Foundation total, and 15.7 percent of the USDA total). I don't believe the ACC or SEC could offer something like this for the academic side of things.

 

[Who'saWildManNow]

It would be a pretty fun schedule to watch but, if we had to make a move, I'd rather join the ACC too.

 

[irishpat183]

I think the BigTen would be the best fit for our football program....but it doesnt' really bring anything to the table that we don't already have. Same area of the country and we're already competing for the same recruits.

Joining someone like the ACC or Big12, just as examples, would actually be more beneficial.

 

[Cali_domer]

If ND joined the ACC or SEC, it wouldn't be possible to maintain all long-standing rivalries because there wouldn't be enough open weeks of non-league play to be able to schedule USC, Stanford, Navy, Michigan, Michigan State, and Purdue while maintaining a full ACC schedule. I would think ND would want to maintain as much tradition as possible if it were no longer an independent school.

The B1G also has the added benefit of the CIC - Committee on Institutional Cooperation - which is a finanical windfall for the academic side of the B1G institutions. CIC members engage in $6 billion in funded research, receiving some 12 percent of the total federal research funds awarded annually (18 percent of the National Science Foundation total, and 15.7 percent of the USDA total). I don't believe the ACC or SEC could offer something like this for the academic side of things.

Michigan isn't a long standing rivalry in terms of games played. The only one I would want to keep for sure is the MSU game.

 

[NDhoosier]

SEC is the last conference I would want to join...

ACC or the BIG Ten would be the best options for Notre Dame football. Big East is worthless for ND football, but they are already a part of the conference, so it has to be in the conversation.

 

[Cali_domer]

My list of preference of conferences.

1.Independent
2. ACC
3. Big 12
4. Pac 12
5. Big East
6. MAC
7. MWC


8. SEC








9. Drop football program.













10. Join Big Ten

 

[FLDomer]

My list of preference of conferences.

1.Independent
2. ACC
3. Big 12
4. Pac 12
5. Big East
6. MAC
7. MWC


8. SEC







9. Drop football program.













10. Join Big Ten

reps

 

[Redbar]

If ND joined the ACC or SEC, it wouldn't be possible to maintain all long-standing rivalries because there wouldn't be enough open weeks of non-league play to be able to schedule USC, Stanford, Navy, Michigan, Michigan State, and Purdue while maintaining a full ACC schedule. I would think ND would want to maintain as much tradition as possible if it were no longer an independent school.

The B1G also has the added benefit of the CIC - Committee on Institutional Cooperation - which is a finanical windfall for the academic side of the B1G institutions. CIC members engage in $6 billion in funded research, receiving some 12 percent of the total federal research funds awarded annually (18 percent of the National Science Foundation total, and 15.7 percent of the USDA total). I don't believe the ACC or SEC could offer something like this for the academic side of things.

IMO, No thanks. If we are forced out of independence, show me what an ACC schedule will look like

 

[BeauBenken]

We kinda play USC and Stanford late in the season for a reason (I guess you did say possibly one could be played late) and we'd still lose our annual games to Pitt and BC (one of them at least). Looks like you thought this over pretty well.

I appreciate that a Buckeye can come on here and not be a total *** though. Thanks.

We'd play well in the Big Ten though.

 

[Buster Bluth]

We kinda play USC and Stanford late in the season for a reason (I guess you did say possibly one could be played late) and we'd still lose our annual games to Pitt and BC (one of them at least). Looks like you thought this over pretty well.

I appreciate that a Buckeye can come on here and not be a total *** though. Thanks.

We'd play well in the Big Ten though.

Dropping Boston College and Pittsburgh wouldn't be bad.

 

[OSU_Buckeyes]

We kinda play USC and Stanford late in the season for a reason (I guess you did say possibly one could be played late) and we'd still lose our annual games to Pitt and BC (one of them at least). Looks like you thought this over pretty well.

I appreciate that a Buckeye can come on here and not be a total *** though. Thanks.

We'd play well in the Big Ten though.

I tried to look at it as a way that would be beneficial to both ND and the B1G. I don't think ND needs the B1G and I don't think the B1G needs ND. But I do think they would benefit tremendously from each other in the long run in terms of revenue for athletics, as well as academics (CIC).

 

[irishpat183]

Dropping Boston College and Pittsburgh wouldn't be bad.

Just rotate them...I honestly couldn't care less about playing either one of them. I still haven't gotten over BC and the 93 game....uggggggg

 

[anarin]

Just rotate them...I honestly couldn't care less about playing either one of them. I still haven't gotten over BC and the 93 game....uggggggg

Thanks for that. I blurted out fuc*ing BC and all my co-workers looked at me like I was crazy. haha

 

[OrlaNDomer]

I tried to look at it as a way that would be beneficial to both ND and the B1G. I don't think ND needs the B1G and I don't think the B1G needs ND. But I do think they would benefit tremendously from each other in the long run in terms of revenue for athletics, as well as academics (CIC).

Maybe I'm being ignorant, but I believe Notre Dame would lose revenue by joining B1G. Wouldn't the revenue sharing hurt ND?

 

[OSU_Buckeyes]

Maybe I'm being ignorant, but I believe Notre Dame would lose revenue by joining B1G. Wouldn't the revenue sharing hurt ND?

I don't know if there have been studies (or at least studies made public) to see how much revenue the B1G would generate with Notre Dame as a member, but I would think ND would receive more revenue with the B1G.

If you have a conference that features at least 5 traditional powerhouses (Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Nebraska, and Notre Dame), that TV contract is going to be a lot of $$$$. Plus, there is the Big Ten Network. The BTN is growing at a rapid pace and revenue keeps increasing year after year. If ND were featured on the BTN, there would be more of a demand for the BTN in out of market areas, which would only help to enhance the already strong revenue the BTN provides now.

I wish I could find a study online about the projected revenue of the Big Ten if Notre Dame were to join, but I haven't been able to find anything.

 

[Patulski]

No.

 

[OrlaNDomer]

Even if ND could increase revenue by joining B1G I still think losing every game on national television and not being able to schedule games across the map would hurt recruiting. I'm not sold on joining any conference, but if ND is forced to down the road I could see the B1G being a contender, but I hope it doesn't come to that honestly.

 

[OSU_Buckeyes]

We also have to factor in revenue from the CIC - Committee for Institutional Cooperation. We are talking about millions and millions of dollars that goes towards academic research.

 

[OSU_Buckeyes]

Even if ND could increase revenue by joining B1G I still think losing every game on national television and not being able to schedule games across the map would hurt recruiting. I'm not sold on joining any conference, but if ND is forced to down the road I could see the B1G being a contender, but I hope it doesn't come to that honestly.

I think every ND game would probably air on either ABC or ESPN (or whatever network has broadcasting rights in future years). I think the only football games to air on BTN would be reruns of games after they have been played.

I don't know exactly how recruiting would be effected, but ND would still be able to play USC, Stanford, Navy, and at least one other team every season. If you scheduled two west coast teams and two east coast teams as your non-league games and potential recruits could watch your games nationwide on ABC or ESPN, I don't think it would have a negative impact on recruiting.

 

[Cali_domer]

No.

^^^^^^^^^^This^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[Black Irish]

If Notre Dame joined the SEC or the ACC, Notre Dame's commitment to academic excellence might take a hit when all the students start failing geography class, considering South Bend is neither in the Southeast or on the Atlantic coast.