Blackball ND
With all this talk of expansion, would it be possible for the Big Teneleventwelve to effectively block members from playing games vs. ND? It seems to me that ND has always been able to count on games w/ MSU, PU, and M, yet maintain their prized "independence". If they won't join the league, why can't Delany (and/or the ADs) tell ND to go pound sand and find 3 opponents that aren't in the Big (?????). Don't get me wrong: I grew in an area heavily populated with ND fans, I hate them with every fiber of my being, I get the rivalry, the history, and obviously the money involved, but I think this would really put some pressure on ND and get them to reconsider their present role in college football.
I guess what I'm asking in a roundabout way is--are the financial or traditional ties to ND too strong to say join Big 12(+?) or take a hike?
At least Brandon is against it.
Brandon said suggestions Michigan and other Big Ten schools boycott Notre Dame if the Irish remain independent are “silly.”
“I don’t agree with that, that that’s going to accomplish anything,” he said.
Apologies to MGoShoe.
...to the quote, it's DB's not mine. H/T appreciated.
Umm, this is a bad idea.
...they can find replacement games with other top schools. Such a strategy is not feasible.
The only effective strategy for forcing ND to the Big Ten is to break up the Big East by picking off some combination of Rutgers, Syracuse or Pitt.
at least the next 10 plus years? Breaking that deal would give us unclean hands. Lets not go there.
When I was watching the Nebraska press conference today someone asked Delaney about Notre Dame. And his remark was "We met with Notre Dame but they didn't fit" I wonder if hes trying to put a scare into Notre Dame or the BigTen really isn't interested anymore?
Aside from the arguments already mentioned, this smacks of jilted boyfriend kind of stuff and would play into ND's feeling of superiority.
we'll kill this foot.
I think in an ideal situation, if we expand beyond 12 then we would want ND to be a part of that. I think they would be less likely to join us if we were boycotting them.
"To hell with Notre Dame."
Isn't that kinda what started this whole ND mess?
and conference schedule. If the Big 10 goes to 16 and you have eight teams per division. That is seven games against your division and the question is how many games do you play against the other division. There may be no room for ND on the schedule anyways.
This may also happen to ND with the Pac 10 if they go to 16 teams. USC may opt to play them because of the tradition, but I've got to believe that if Stanford has to add Texas and Oklahoma to their schedule they are going to drop ND.
ND has been allowed to cherry-pick the BT for years now. They currently have the benefits of a BT schedule without the grind. It was part of the reason they were able to get their fat TV contract that enabled them to renege on the original CFA contract. If you want an ally in this "cause," Angelique Chengalis has felt that way for a long time.
As for DB "speaking out" against it, I would consider the possibility that an experienced CEO such as DB could be familiar with the wisdom of not saying things in public that could come back as evidence in a collusion or anti-trust lawsuit. I am hoping, though, that ND joins soon and renders all discussion on the subject moot.
... but the fact is they would be better than any other get at this point save for Texas (with the Huskers already in).
Anyone else mentioned we could have anytime. As I noted elsewhere, a Big Ten that goes to 14 with Nebraska, Texas and Notre Dame would be a freaking powerhouse, and at only 14, there's fewer hands out at the end of the year to throw gobs of money at.
You want to be the best, not the biggest. Texas would make so much more under that scenario than with a Pac 16, it's not even close.
I see only three reasons Texas goes to the Pac 10: 1) they can't shed their A&M/Tech stepkids, 2) they get a priority share (> 1/16) or 3) they think they can dominate the conference, particularly with a weakened USC.
Jim Delany is one masterful poker player, and he already has a network. The Big Ten is so far ahead of the other conferences in this regard it isn't funny.
Seems as though the Big East is helping the Big Ten's by giving a join football or find schedules for all of your other sports ultimatum.. If this is in fact the case, ND will have to decide which conference make's the most sense. I personally believe that ND doesn't want to play the guantlet that is the Big Ten schedule.
I'm sick of talking about Notre Dame, can we just wait to talk about them until after we beat them in September?
At this point, I really don't care if ND joins the Big Ten or not. And, if the conference does add two more members, I'd prefer Texas and A&M over ND and a Big East cast-off.