Another Expansion Nugget: Notre Dame
Yes, I know: Notre Dame probably isn't going anywhere. HOWEVA, this little ESPN blurb with quotes from ND AD Swarbrick seem to point to a Lloyd Christmasesque "chance" that they would be open to joining a conference. On to the article...
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4979435
-Jim Delany
Yeah, I could see them forced into the Big East by a Big 10 expansion--depending on which direction the Big 10 expands. Notre Dame would also encounter some scheduling problems if the Big 10 ended up adding a conference game.
if the Big Ten does not expand, it is mathematically impossible for all conference teams to add a 9th conference game.
Oh fiddlesticks, I forgot. Can we just kick Indiana out then?
How about the Big Ten kicks Northwestern out instead so the conference has only public universities
Not.
And how about people stop saying shit like that?
pretend to come kicking and screaming, but they are out on a limb.
I propose that they be restyled the "Fightin' Expansion Nuggets."
Join or die. Seriously the Big Ten should find a way to void the UM/MSU/PUR vs ND to put the pressure on. Plus I won't have to listen to ND fans complaining about Big Ten officiating every time they lose. The Leauge could say there adding a 9th conf. game unless they want to come in.
Edit: sorry Zone Left, you beat me to the 9th conf. game.
No apology required Mr Bundy.
I wrote a long email to Angelique about this a few years ago, and she said she has been of the opinion for years now that the Big Ten should refuse to schedule ND unless they join.
Basically, ND cherry-picks the BT; they get a prestiege game against UM and two games they should usually win against MSU and Purdue every year. If they need another weak game, they can pick up someone like Indiana. If they need another big game, they can pick up someone like PSU or OSU.
ND gets the benefits of being in the Big Ten without the grind that usually causes an "upset" loss once during the year. Screw ND; let them play Air Force, Kent State, and William and Mary instead of UM, Purdue, and MSU.
Hey, don't dump on W&M. I'd bet that my alma mater could beat ND right now.
Small problem with that is ND started playing UM, MSU and Purdue before the bigten was even a conference. So to say ND "cherry picks" who they want to play from the bigten, its misleading, ND plays them because of Tradition, ND is high on Tradition if you haven't noticed.
and if you think ND would have a tough time replacing MSU, UM or Purdue on their schedule, you're sorely mistaken.
The biggest tradition ND has is filling its schedule with 80% creampuffs.
March 10th, 2010 at 10:45 AM ^
you should just stop talking now
March 10th, 2010 at 11:12 AM ^
I'm sure that ND would be able to fill their non-conference schedule if they joined the Big Ten, but I would recommended avoiding terms like "cherry" and "sorely" when discussing Notre Dame. You might get some faculty members excited.
I hate them just as much as the next guy however, they clearly make the most sense. They bring the academic prestige and the sports revenue potential (rivaled only by UT and which PITT, Rutgers, 'Cuse, and Missou don't do as much...) and are the perfect geographical fit (which UT is not, clearly).
IMO Dave Brandon should pay off big east commish Jon Marrinato to tell ND join up for everything or get out, forcing their hand to join the Big Ten...
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/football/ncaa/03/09/notre-dame-ex…
"I believe we are at a point right now where the changes could be relatively small, or they could be seismic."
Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/football/ncaa/03/09/notre-dame-ex…
Get a free NFL Team Jacket and Tee with SI Subscription
I liked my Mom's response on the issue when Dad and I were discussing expansion the other day.
"Wait... isn't Notre Dame already in the Big 10?"
I think about 90% of America thinks that.
Ok, an inconsequential question, but what happens to the "Big Ten" name if we add another team? I know we are currently 11 teams playing under the "Big Ten" umbrella, but does the name stay the same regardless of the number of teams? I say yeah, the name is more about tradition and marketing than the number of teams represented... sorry, just wondering.
As already discussed, yes, it stays the same. There's way too much Marketing power behind the Big 10 name.
The logo will be reworked, of course, to remove the 11, but that's about it.
expansion will be from 11 teams to 14 teams; 12, 13, 15 and 16 don't work as well. You read it here first.
It would become a B-school case study on how not to manage a brand.
The Big Ten has a lot of marketing power, but the Big 12 seems to have done fine retaining prestige/marketing power when switching from the Big 8. IMO, the main reason the name doesn't change is that there's already a Big 12.
Cool, thanks didn't know it was already discussed
The Big Ten Public Schools and the Two Private Schools.
Someone should make a shirt that says: "Jesus is a Michigan Man". I would definately wear that when we play Notre Dame.
How has this not been posbanged? This is hilarious
I think that's just ND's way of saying they want to know what everyone else is doing.
If everybody starts grabbing for 12, they may be forced into joining a conference. Trouble is, they want to be stubborn about the independent thing, but they are at least aware that if the conferences get expansion happy, they won't have much of a viable choice, and I'm sure they DON'T want to get stuck going to the Big East because they passed up another Big Ten invitation.
Depending on timing though, they may not have the luxury of wait-and-see. If the Big Ten expands first, then they'll be left out to dry, so honestly, I don't see any reason to ban our teams from playing ND. The mere fact they might get isolated as an independent with no place to go but the Big East with their football team is probably scary enough for them.
Plus, I know that at least MSU and us both have contracts signed that go a very long way into the future. Both schools wouldn't stand for an outright conference-level ND ban unless the conference is willing to take the financial hit for backing out of their massive contracts.
I hate playing ND every year. It's boring and prevents us from scheduling other "marquee" teams in their place.
I would fully support a boycott, contract or not.
I'd love for some of the Mechagodzilla dreams of Texas, Nebraska, etc to come true, but I'd take ND over raiding the Big East.
The worst part about the Domers joining is we'll have to alternately listen to smug and whining. First we'll get "Ha, we got into the Big 10, Yost must be rolling in his grave now? Hahahahah". Next comes "Waaaaa, you mean schools made us abandon our independence* that made us so special and you're forcing us to accept this giant check from the BTN. Waaaaa."
No matter what they're going to be annoying. I'll just sit here and dream of dropping ND from the schedule in favor of our newest conference member, Texas!
*Just ignore the fact we're basically in the Big East for all the other sports
I would love to have Texas in the B10. I know it isn't happening, but that would be sweet. ND would be my second choice though.
ND will likely be able to keep their NBC contract until it expires, and the BTN contract will make up for it afterward. The only reason they haven't joined until now is the financial side; I think they're gonna jump.
I thought the big ten schools got more from the big ten network than ND gets from NBC on a per year basis? I think ND got $9 million from their last NBC contract and the one that goes until 2015 is undisclosed. Irish?
The Bigten payout per school is/has been/is projected to be bigger than what ND receives on their own. I don't remember how much, 8 million more?, quite a few people ran the numbers last season, you should be able to find it with a little searching. But joining a conference is not just about the money, money will not be the deciding factor.
Notre Dame is definitely interested in joining the Big Ten. It's the Big Ten that doesn't want Notre Dame based on their demands.
I'm all for a Big 10 boycott of ND until they make the "right" decision.
I don't remember where I read this originally, but the Big East does have one Ace up their sleeve to influence the Big Ten's expansion. If the conference as a whole decides they want to avoid at all costs losing a school (and their football team) to the Big Ten, they could consider kicking ND out of the Big East for other sports. This would essentially force ND's hand, the Big East would remain essentially intact, and the Big Ten would be happy to add ND.
ND is coming???
Hide the women and children!!!
Ok...just the children!
What does Notre Dame do for The Footprint? If NBS is sucking wind during ND broadcasts--why add them to the Big Ten?
This morning's New York Times has a story entitled "Irish Rethinking Football Independence": http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/10/sports/ncaafootball/10irish.html?ref=…
The story discusses the unstable nature of college football at the moment and seems to indicate ND will join a conference, likely the B10.