Q. "Is Notre Dame Relevant? Feldman's Answer,

[BGIF]

Mailbag: Is ND really relevant? - CBSSports.com

June 8, 2012

From @EdwardLane2: Why is Notre Dame considered the envy of every conference despite recent on field & TV ratings mediocrity? What am I missing?


The TV ratings aren't mediocre at all. They've been down (you can point to the numbers for the game last year against Air Force), but people still tune in even when this program isn't in the Top 25. The Irish played Florida State in the Champs Sports Bowl and ratings jumped 64 percent from the previous year. You can give some of that credit to the 'Noles, but ND also deserves it too. The Irish prompted a Hawaii Bowl TV ratings record when ND played in that a few years ago toward the end of the Charlie Weis era.

The issue over whether the Fighting Irish, who have not won a national title in almost a quarter century are still relevant surely does get folks fired up. Is the on-field product diminished compared to what it once was? No doubt, but in the truest sense of the term relevant, people still really, really care about Notre Dame. Especially, the people who matter most, the power brokers of the sport, namely the conference commissioners who trip over themselves to try and woo the school. Same with the TV execs. That's what makes Notre Dame relevant. If those people didn't really care, ND wouldn't be nationally relevant. When top decision-makers change the way they do business depending on you, that speaks to relevance. This isn't just about a program putting together a couple of teams ranked in the top 15. Listen to what people in the Big 12 or ACC commissioner John Swafford have said about the Irish in the past few weeks. That's what shows you just how relevant the ND brand still is. Like it or not. Fair or unfair.


In fact, I think the like-or-not part touches on something that factors into the relevancy part with the Irish. No question, the Irish have a huge fan base, coast to coast, but the Irish also draw an overwhelming number of people who hate ND. They'll tune in religiously hoping to see the Irish get beat. That factors into TV ratings too. Fans simply don't hate other programs like that. They don't tune in hoping to see Nebraska lose. Or Virginia Tech. Or Oklahoma. At least not in the way they do for Notre Dame. And this has kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy quality to it because the more we in the media talk about it or answer questions about it or dredge up the Irish, the more irked ND haters get about the Irish.

When ND signed the NBC contract, the NBC affliates in Alabama refused to show ND football fearing a backlash from Tide fans. A small independent station carried the ND games. Their advertising slogan was, "Tune in to watch Notre Dame, The Team, Alabama fans love to hate."

 

[condoms SUCk]

Nice article and very true. ND haters say ND is irrelevant, yet they fail to define what "irrelevant" means. Is it national expose, ability to compete for a NC or have won a NC recently? Haters throw around that term but fail to provide and substantive meaning behind it. Yes it is true that ND has not won a NC since 88 and this is ND's longest drought, but other high profile programs have had as long or longer droughts. Here are a few of the “relevant” football programs last two National Championships. Texas-1970, 2005, Michigan-1948, 1997, USC -1978, 2003 (2004 vacated) Auburn-1957, 2010,Oklahoma-1985, 2000, Penn State-1982, 1986, Florida St.- 1993, 1999, Oregon -0, Ohio St.- 2002, 1970. Exceptions Florida, 2006,2008 Alabama has won 3 since ND has 1992, 2009, 2011. The problem is in the era of ESPN ND has not had much success, ergo fan younger than 35 have no understanding of ND’s history or realize that the programs they think are “relevant” have went through dry spells as well.

 

[ThePiombino]

I think it's clear that what they mean by "irrelevant" is that we are no longer competitive on a championship level, not that no one cares about us. I think the article makes it clear why that plane of thinking is just silly - the no one caring part that is. ND's particular MO makes it difficult to keep pace with the USCs, Albamas, OSUs, etc; however, it does not make it impossible. So long as admissions are what they are and we honor the entire four years of a scholarship we are going to be fighting an uphill battle- a battle that, when we finally do come out on top, will be that much sweeter!

 

[yankeeND]

Let's ask the same irrelevant question for the millionth time blah blah blah. This has gotta be the most beat to death horse ever. I take that back how about should Notre Dame join a conference? Insert smiley face here

 

[NDOM]

I would not say we are "Irrelevant" because that is simply not the case. Do we stink? Yes! are we gonna get better this year? No! I think people mistake Irrelevant with wins and losses. But when we lose we still have people watching. I always watch until the end just to see how we are going to lose the game (but of course hope we win).

Irregardless it's gonna be a LONG and PAINFUL year to watch. We WILL lose at least 5 or 6 games. MARK it!