Independence is our SALVATION!
Independence is our SALVATION!
Gentlemen,
Hoping that I don't sound redundant, but there is no doubt that ND does not want to be caught up in the politics of a conference like the INTEGER. The best interest of our athletic programs, our academics and the way the University makes policy will change drastically, and for the worse if we join the INTEGER.
Seriously, once you join the INTEGER, how do you differentiate your school. Yes, winning cures many ills, however ND has different academic standards than any school in the INTEGER or almost any other conference for that matter. So, why would any recruit in his right mind choose ND and it's tough entrance standards and rigorous year-round standards, instead of choosing any other school in the country let alone in the conference?
This is insanity! I can tell you, that if ND joins the INTEGER or any other conference in the near future, they will eventually become truly irrelivant!
A small Catholic University, with very tough academic standards in a cold weather environment with nothing to offer but a great liberal arts education, VS. every other school in the country, not to mention the conference, where entrance standards are easy, academic load is light, and the TV deal is the same?
It won't happen overnight, but within a decade, ND will become Yale, Harvard, or worse, Indiana!
This will ruin what ND is. End of story!