Has Notre Dame's hand been forced?

Submitted by mejunglechop on

Mods feel free to fold this into the other thread, but I think this has potentially huge implications for ND that deserve its own discussion. 

Every year going back to 2007, Notre Dame has played five or six regular season games against B1G and Pac 12 teams. With B1G moving to a 9 game conference schedule (the Pac 12 already has one) and the apparent new scheduling agreement between the two conferences there appears to be little room left for scheduling Notre Dame. How can a revenue conscious AD justify locking themselves into an 11th home and home agreement even for the short term? 

Without the B1G and Pac 12 as scheduling partners, Notre Dame will be forced to try and replace up to half of its schedule. Given the strictures of other conferences schedules it may be impossible for Notre Dame to fill out a BCS caliber slate. The end game may very well be that Notre Dame is forced to finally join a conference. A Machiavellian move by Delaney indeed.

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mejunglechop

December 28th, 2011 at 5:36 PM ^

One of the main reasons Notre Dame has an NBC contract is because they schedule teams with a lot of cachet, like Michigan, that will attract a lot of viewers whether they blow or not. While you say Notre Dame can go ahead and schedule say TCU, Oklahoma State or Boise State as replacements, you will find that this approach is all downside. Until Notre Dame emerges from its seemingly perpetual malaise they will be better served scheduling fewer schools whose quality exceed their noteriety, not more. Put another way, how much fun would it be playing a schedule of USFs, with an occassional Kansas State mixed in?

Joined: 07/09/2008

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93Grad

December 28th, 2011 at 5:46 PM ^

of arrogance and igorance.  Thanks for so aptly reminding us all of that fact.  If you guys lose UM, USC, Stanford, MSU and Purdue from your schedule it just hastens your continued slide into mediocrity.  The NBC deal pays you less than the B1G network pays Indiana.  Not to mention the fact that it is has been:

24 years since the last heisman

23 years since the last national championship

19 years since the last BCS bowl win

3 1/2 years since the last victory over Michigan..

 

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phork

December 28th, 2011 at 6:34 PM ^

Arrogance?  You talk like the BIG is the end all be all?  10-2 and you are back?  You backed into a BCS game, backed into an easy matchup.  You pulled a miracle out of your ass to beat ND, you should have lost to OSU. 

You are predicting the downfall of ND because the BIG is taking its ball and going home.  Well boohoo.

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budeye

December 28th, 2011 at 7:29 PM ^

pulled a miracle out of our asses to beat ND?  LOL.  we should have lost to FOSU?  how do you figure we should have lost to FOSU?  please expand on how a team that wins a game, actually should have lost that game?  how did we back into a BCS bowl game?  did michigan not finish in the top 14?  since when has the responsibility of the BCS expanded past getting #1 vs. #2?  that is the only matchup that matters to the BCS.  all other bowl games are exhibition (sp?) games, nothing more, nothing less.

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Farnn

December 28th, 2011 at 5:48 PM ^

So what good teams will ND play?  If the B1G and PAC12 play 9 conference games a year and one other team from the other conference, then I can see Purdue, MSU, Michigan, USC and Standford all dropping ND.  Would be a lot of teams to replace.

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Section 1

December 28th, 2011 at 6:51 PM ^

You're a great school down there in South Bend.  There are a LOT of schools that would like to play a school like Notre Dame.  You've got a lot going for you; you'll find some other rivlaries, or some other conference.  It just hasn't been working between us, and really, it's not your fault.  We know how hard you tried.

Section 1: Since the Under the Lights game, we've said a great many things. You said Michigan was to do the thinking for both of us. Well, we've done a lot of it since then, and it all adds up to one thing: you're getting on that plane to your bowl game with FSU, where you belong.  You have any idea what you'd have to look forward to if you stayed with the current schedule? Nine chances out of ten, you'd wind up losing to Michigan, Michigan State and Purdue all in one year. Isn't that true, Louie?
Captain Renault: I'm afraid Coaches Hoke, Dantonio and Hope would insist.
phork: You're saying this only to make me go.
Section 1: I'm saying it because it's true. Inside of us, we both know you belong with the MAC. You're part of that culture, the thing that keeps Brian Kelly going. If that conference takes a 14th team and it's not you, you'll regret it. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life.
phork: But what about us?
Section 1: We'll always have The Big House. We didn't have, we, we lost it once on a late field goal, until you came back to Ann Arbor. We got it back last September.
phork: When we said we would never fail to renew our deal.
Section 1: And there will plenty of deals for you. South Florida, Central Florida, Florida A&M, Florida Christian, Florida Gulf Coast, Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Nova Southeastern. But we've got a job to do, too. A Conference schedule to play.  Where we're going, you can't follow. What we've got to do, you can't be any part of. Phork, I'm no good at being noble, but it doesn't take much to see that the problems of one little independent in northern Indiana doesn't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy college football world. Someday you'll understand that.
Here's looking at you kid. 

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psychomatt

December 29th, 2011 at 11:51 AM ^

People make a big deal about the "top 8" ND rule but, really, what elite program wouldn't get an at-large bid if it ended up in the top 8? We just got one by being ranked #13. If it was an exception offered to BSU or KSU, sure it would make a difference. But there is no scenario that ND would not get an at-large bid if it were ranked in the top 8. In practice, it's a totally worthless rule.

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MichiWolv

December 28th, 2011 at 10:30 PM ^

Yea but at the same time, they could do what Boise St has been doing for the past few years.  Schedule one big time opponent opening week (Georgia, Va Tech, Oregon) and then have one or two respectable teams sprinkled in (Utah, TCU, San Diego St).  Run the table or possibly even one loss could get them BCS.  They may not get us, Sparty, USC, or Stanford, but they could still pull home and homes with some bigger programs.

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phork

December 29th, 2011 at 10:21 AM ^

10-2 guarantees ND is in the BCS if they are in the top14, just like you. Just like you, we are a big draw and would selected over the likes of Boise etc.  Its not 100%, but its pretty close.  Top 8 is 100% according to the BCS rules.  And we only have to have 9 wins.

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mackbru

December 28th, 2011 at 5:14 PM ^

I'm not sure it necessarily effects either team all that much. This year, for instance, M plays ND, Bama, and Air Force. In 2017, a P10 team takes either of the latter two slots on the schedule. No biggie.

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hennesbe

December 28th, 2011 at 9:27 PM ^

I just hope the B1G does not allow them to join.  It would really do me good to see ND stuck playing all the military schools and a bunch of MAC teams.  They were always to good for the Big Ten.

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