Should Notre Dame football join a conference to play in?

Question

Should ND enter int a conference where they would face tougher opponents on a consistant basis or remain an independant team and face teams such as army, navy, and air force in their schedule? If you think they should join a conference, which conference do you think would be most suited for ND?

Answer 1

I don't think they should join a conference. They are one of the rare teams that has a national TV deal. By not being in a conference, it allows them more flexibility in their schedule, which is why they could face Stanford the year Willlingham went to ND, and USC last year.

Answer 2

Yes, I do, but he biggest obstacle right now is football money. For just football, Notre Dame makes more money by far as an independent than it would as a member of any conference. The NBC deal alone is worth more than TV deals for entire conferences. Regardless of the outcome of the last two bowl games, ND still took home BCS money for going to them, and didn't have to pay out any conference revenue sharing like the other teams. Scheduling would also be tricky considering Notre Dame schedules out farther in advance than most other schools, plus taking into account all of the traditional rivals, the second tier rivalries, and the new home away from home 'barnstorming' game added to the schedule. If ND were to join a conference it wouldn't be just for football's sake. It would be for the benefit of the entire sports program, and going after the Director's Cup.

Answer 3

No team should be forced into joining a conference. Schools like Penn St., Florida St., and Miami had to join conferences because they could not sustain their Independent status in the face of conference expansion and the rising importance of conference tie-ins with regard to bowl games. Notre Dame on the other hand, as has been mentioned, has a very advantageous deal with NBC that no other school does. A lot of people have decried this as unfair, but the reason that NBC is able to do this is because there exists a sizable audience that will watch Notre Dame, either to cheer them or jeer them. Notre Dame has a national following (both positive and negative) that stems largely from a fanatically loyal, successful alumni base spread across the country.

As far as facing tough opponents, well there are two parts to my first answer. First, schedules are made years in advance. It is very difficult to determine who will have a good team 10 years down the road (as was the case in 1995 when Ohio St. and Texas scheduled a home-and-away) as programs fluctuate over time. Second, they do face a rather difficult schedule on a yearly basis. Last year Mark May and Lee Corso predicted them at 1-5 or 0-6 after their first 6 games due largely to the fact that they played the top 3 teams in the country (USC, Tennessee, Michigan), something which, to my knowledge, was a previously undefeated happening. I addressed this issue of scheduling in an answer to a question concerning all the preseason hype surrounding Notre Dame (link below). Notre Dame's schedule is no easier than that of Ohio St. or any other comparable school. In addition to playing Independent Army and Navy and MWC Air Force, they play Penn St., Georgia Tech, Michigan St., and USC as well as a handful of other BCS teams that could be tough (UCLA, Stanford, Purdue, UNC). As an Independent, Notre Dame is able to maintain many storied (and some not-quite-as-storied) rivalries and play a national schedule against such schools as USC, Purdue, Michigan, Michigan St., Navy, Boston College, Stanford, and Pittsburgh; teams from five different conferences.

Finally, being in a conference is no guarantee of a tougher schedule. First, there are ways to circumvent it, or mitigate it by scheduling a cupcake non-conference schedule (see Minnesota, Wisconsin, or perhaps Texas Tech, who played two I-AA schools last year). Second, joining a conference is not a simple formula for a harder schedule. Would anyone argue that ND's schedule would be augmented if they joined the MAC or C-USA? Of course not. As far as BCS conferences go, they all have their cupcakes as well--if you take away WVU and Louisville from the Big East, you're left with a murderer's row of Rutgers, UConn, USF, Pitt, Cincy, and Syracuse.

As far as which conference I would have Notre Dame hypothetically join, that's a tough choice between their all sports home in the Big East and the Midwestern Big Ten. I doubt the Big East would take kindly to the Irish snubbing them to join the Big Ten, but it's a better geographic/football fit, and would put them in the same conference as MSU, UM, and Purdue, among others. Of course, the Big Ten has its bottom-feeders in the form of Illinois, Indiana, Northwestern, and Purdue, so there's no guarantee that their schedule would become noticeably more difficult.

In closing, given the current state of college football and their longstanding rivalries with schools across the nation, I do not think Notre Dame should join a conference. They have no reason to do so (TV contract, BCS bowls provision), and already play a difficult enough schedule (honestly, who would have wanted their schedule at the beginning of 2005?). Every top-notch team has easier games built into their schedule (FSU did play The Citadel last year and LSU played Appalachian St.) and Notre Dame is no different; their schedule is roughly comparable to those of other national championship caliber programs.

Answer 4

I don't kno
Not being in a confrence they can play different teams like michigan, tennessee, USC
they are one of a few schools that get to play teams all over the country

but If they had too I hope they join the big 10
they are already in that area
plus they already play teams like Michigan State, Michigan, and Purdue
the big 10 is compeitive and traditional
it would be a good fit
Plus
Silver Vs. Gold every year (ohio state vs. ND)
That would be cool

Maybe PAC 10
it would make that conference stronger cuz most of those teams suck
USC might have some comp 4 a change

Answer 5

IF they joined a conference, joining the Big Ten would seem to make the most sense. ND already seems to play Michigan and Michgan State every year, and location-wise they're right in the middle of Big Ten country.

But I don't think ND would want to give up its sweetheart TV deal in order to join a conference, nor give up the flexibility that being an Independent offers. If they joined a conference, two-thirds of their schedule would become conference games & they'd have to play both the best and the worst a conference would have to offer.

Should they join a conference? IMHO, yes, but that may not be what they want to do. I'd rather ND be required to prove itself against a strong conference every year & not have a soft schedule (with a few very tough games every year) to boost their national ranking.

Answer 6

I think they should but they won't. The fact that there is a "Notre Dame Rule" (Under the new BCS arrangement Notre Dame will be guaranteed one of the at-large slots in a BCS bowl if it is ranked No. 8 or better in the final BCS Standings) is CRAP!!! Now the fact remains that they still have a tough schedule despite the other independants navy, airforce, ect... so you can't take that from them and the fact that they have their own tv channel (NBC) doesn't sway them away either. Despite all that they shouldn't be any different than the other big name schools and jion finally

Answer 7

I think they should join the Big 10 Conference.

Answer 8

I don't think they should join a confrence, because ND has many "rivals" from other confrences (USC, FSU, Michigan, BC), and the school generates plenty of revenue from the television contracts for these games.

I don't think the univesity would want to lose that much potential revenue by joining a set confrence (Big Ten, Big East, etc . . .).

Answer 9

why would they join a conference and share the BCS money?? that sounds really stupid to me.....all the money they make with TV and bowls they would have to share it with the conference...use your brains its all about $$$$$$$$$$$$ so Notre Dame will never join a conference

Answer 10

I think they should. I think their basketball team plays in the Big East, so why shouldn't the football team also play in this conference? They have been good 1 year out of the last 8 or 9, wah makes them so special?