Interesting comments from ND AD regarding media rights and conference expansion

[BrentwoodJacket]

That was what though, 100 years ago? It was sometime before Wake Forest went from Deacons to Demon Deacons and the Trinity College "Methodists" became the Duke "Blue Devils". There aren't many schools left at the FBS level that are viewed as Christian, much less protestant. Baylor maybe? I don't think anyone confuses SMU as a Christian school anymore despite the school having Methodist in the name. Is there a Protestant school in the B1G or SEC??

The only Protestant school in The SEC was Sewanee and they left before World War II. Having sent a son there, I can assure you they are far from religious now although they do have a beautiful chapel.

Journey back to Sewanee, a founding SEC member that has no regrets

Sewanee, the University of the South, was a charter SEC member that cherishes both its history and its decision to leave the league in 1940.

theathletic.com

Vanderbilt cut its ties with the Methodist Episcopal Church before the SEC was created.

Unfortunately, most schools founded by Protestants have chosen to abandon their church roots in recent years.

 

[1982Jacket]

What? You’re telling me that traveling to NW, Purdue, Indiana, tOSU, Michigan, Michigan State, PSU, Wisconsin, etc is the same as GT, FSU, Miami, BC, Cuse, UNC, Duke, Wake, etc? Multiple games in the B1G is an easy car / bus ride for the team minus every ACC game is a plane ride.

What about USC, UCLA, and Nebraska for example? And then if Oregon and/or Stanford and/or Cal and/or UWash joins? Those trips to Pittsburgh and Louisville suddenly look like a stroll in the park.

 

[00Burdell]

What about USC, UCLA, and Nebraska for example? And then if Oregon and/or Stanford and/or Cal and/or UWash joins? Those trips to Pittsburgh and Louisville suddenly look like a stroll in the park.

Yep. That is a seriously stupid thing to bring up.

 

[1982Jacket]

Being Independent doesn't set Notre Dame apart near as much as being the Catholic Flagship and having a long football history. None of that changes by joining a conference.

ND was sort of the embodiment of a response to Protestant establishment within academia (most of the ivys have Protestant connections). There was (is) a lot of anti-Catholic sentiment which is a lot of the basis for the independence.

Notre Dame is not the "Catholic Flagship." Georgetown was founded more than five decades before Notre Dame and is academically superior and is much more well known as an academic institution around the world.

It has exactly NOTHING to do with "independence" or supposed anti-Catholic sentiment, or any of that crap. They aren't independent in anything but football. And neither is any other Catholic University. Boston College, Villanova, Georgetown, Providence, Gonzaga, Holy Cross, etc. They all play their sports as members of conferences.

It is all - ALL - 100 PERCENT - about one thing and one thing only. MONEY. $$$.

Change the money equation, make it suddenly more lucrative for ND to play football in a conference than to play football as an independent, and just watch how fast they join a conference.

 

[GTFLETCH]

“We’ve talked about them a fair amount,” Swarbrick said. “One, is do we have a committed broadcast partner, who not only will carry all our games — all our home games — nationally, but will compensate us for our media rights in way that allows us to be competitive? So it starts with the question of media partner. Secondly, is our access to the College Football Playoff. Do we, as an independent, retain adequate access? I think we’ve proved conclusively in the past eight years that we’ve had it. Both those things will play out over time. I can’t predict how much time. I think the CFP will be resolved as to what’s next within that timeframe,” Swarbrick said. “It’s possible that the media situation could be. But the flip side of that is our contract runs through the 2025 season. So hard to say. But those are the first two things. Third, is a good home for our Olympic sports, where they can compete for national championships. But also have schedules that sort of make sense for that. And the ACC has been a great partner for us in that regard."

Conference realignment: Notre Dame AD Jack Swarbrick outlines criteria for joining a league

Where could Notre Dame be heading?

247sports.com

 

[aeromech]

Notre Dame is not the "Catholic Flagship." Georgetown was founded more than five decades before Notre Dame and is academically superior and is much more well known as an academic institution around the world.

...

I don't think of Georgetown as a Catholic University (though I'm not disputing that it is), I really don't give Georgetown much thought unless their basketball team is doing well. Internationally Georgetown may be a bigger name than Notre Dame; but academic reputation internationally really isn't a factor in this equation.

For college sports in the US, I think it is hard to dispute that Notre Dame is the Catholic flagship in much the same way that BYU is the Mormon flagship. I have heard a lot more chatter from Catholics over the decades about Notre Dame than I have Georgetown, BC, and Catholic University combined. The rest of your post I agree with, everyone should know that money is a driver.

 

[Tampa Jacket]

Lol. Notre Dame is not joining The ACC.

 

[Jmonty71]

It's hard to imagine ND joining any conference other than the Big X. Anyone who thinks ND would join the ACC as a full time member either has an oversized estimate of the ACC's stature or an undersized estimate of ND's, in my opinion.

I agree. Location wise, rivalry wise and business wise, all point to the Big X. I mean face it. ND vs Michigan or ND vs Penn State or ND vs. Ohio State sound much better than ND vs Clemson, Miami or NC State. One of those will drive up viewers, the other will not.

 

[Nehru Jacket]

The only Protestant school in The SEC was Sewanee and they left before World War II. Having sent a son there, I can assure you they are far from religious now although they do have a beautiful chapel.

Journey back to Sewanee, a founding SEC member that has no regrets

Sewanee, the University of the South, was a charter SEC member that cherishes both its history and its decision to leave the league in 1940.

theathletic.com

Vanderbilt cut its ties with the Methodist Episcopal Church before the SEC was created.

Unfortunately, most schools founded by Protestants have chosen to abandon their church roots in recent years.

I guess it would be hard for Sewanee to stick to their strict Episcopalian roots when they have accepted thousands of dollars from Tennessee Williams estate. I think they have even named something on campus for him. Anyway he was a very dissipated person despite being a great writer.

 

[savbandjacket]

I don't think of Georgetown as a Catholic University (though I'm not disputing that it is), I really don't give Georgetown much thought unless their basketball team is doing well. Internationally Georgetown may be a bigger name than Notre Dame; but academic reputation internationally really isn't a factor in this equation.

For college sports in the US, I think it is hard to dispute that Notre Dame is the Catholic flagship in much the same way that BYU is the Mormon flagship. I have heard a lot more chatter from Catholics over the decades about Notre Dame than I have Georgetown, BC, and Catholic University combined. The rest of your post I agree with, everyone should know that money is a driver.

Of course money is a (the) big driver now. But ND’s identity is tied up in historically being independent, and I gave you the reason for that. It’s a chip on their shoulder from stuff like being initially turned away and if the money is anywhere remotely close, ND will stay independent because of this attitude.

 

[1982Jacket]

I don't think of Georgetown as a Catholic University (though I'm not disputing that it is), I really don't give Georgetown much thought unless their basketball team is doing well. Internationally Georgetown may be a bigger name than Notre Dame; but academic reputation internationally really isn't a factor in this equation.

For college sports in the US, I think it is hard to dispute that Notre Dame is the Catholic flagship in much the same way that BYU is the Mormon flagship. I have heard a lot more chatter from Catholics over the decades about Notre Dame than I have Georgetown, BC, and Catholic University combined. The rest of your post I agree with, everyone should know that money is a driver.

If it was just football, fine - Notre Dame is the Catholic Flagship for Football. Of course. But that is not what the post said, and it even kind of emphasized that it was not limited to football by saying that it is the Catholic Flagship, AND has a long football tradition - as if those are two separate things.

And the other post I cited specifically dragged academia and the Ivy League into it. In that sense, in NO WAY is Notre Dame the "Catholic Flagship." Whether you think of Georgetown as a Catholic University or not, it is. In fact, it's a Jesuit institution with an enclave of 52 Jesuit priests who live and work on campus (I had one as a professor), and while the current President is a layman, it was founded by the first Catholic archbishop in the US (John Carroll) and all of its previous President were Catholic priests. There are crucifixes all over the campus. It's a Catholic University. By far the oldest one in the US. and also the most academically prestigious one in the US.

For college sports . . . Villanova has a much better college basketball program. Georgetown did too for many years. No, I think ND's pre-eminence among Catholic schools in sports is pretty much about football.

ANYWAY . . . none of that has anything to do with ND not joining a conference specifically only for the sport of football. And any intelligent and honest person knows it. You certainly seem to.

 

[1982Jacket]

I agree. Location wise, rivalry wise and business wise, all point to the Big X. I mean face it. ND vs Michigan or ND vs Penn State or ND vs. Ohio State sound much better than ND vs Clemson, Miami or NC State. One of those will drive up viewers, the other will not.

Yes, location wise, and history wise, the only place for MD is the Little Fourteen.

But don't kid yourself that ND vs MIami or ND vs Clemson would not attract viewers as much as ND vs Penn St., for example.

 

[1982Jacket]

When I think of protestant universities in the P5, I come up with Baylor, TCU, and BYU (although some would not consider the Latter Day Saints to be Protestants). P5 football is hardly some sort of cabal of Protestants ganging up on poor ol' Notre Dame.

 

[whiskey clear]

Yes, location wise, and history wise, the only place for MD is the Little Fourteen.

But don't kid yourself that ND vs MIami or ND vs Clemson would not attract viewers as much as ND vs Penn St., for example.

ND vs Miami will draw a lot of eyes most years. ND Clemson should too so long as both teams are playing well. But the B1G is in ND's backyard and they have always had a huge following in the Northeast and ND vs Penn St would be just as big. The ACC was never a good fit for their football except to provide some nice filler games.

 

[FightOn!Jacket]

What about USC, UCLA, and Nebraska for example? And then if Oregon and/or Stanford and/or Cal and/or UWash joins? Those trips to Pittsburgh and Louisville suddenly look like a stroll in the park.

Again, ND already plays USC, Stanford on an annual basis right now. If Oregon, Washington, Stanford, Cal are added, that’s a West coast pod. With a 20-24 team B1G, the likelihood ND would be taking multiple West coast trips a year is slim. It would probably only be 1 a year.

They would probably end up in a pod like:

NW
Purdue
ND
Michigan
Michigan State
tOSU

The longest trip in a pod like that is Michigan State at 157 miles.

So let’s compare the closest program to ND, which is Louisville at 231 miles.

But yeah…..Taking less $$$ to join the ACC over the B1G (which I still don’t think they’ll have to join any conference) makes real sense…..Not.

 

[savbandjacket]

Again, ND already plays USC, Stanford on an annual basis right now. If Oregon, Washington, Stanford, Cal are added, that’s a West coast pod. With a 20-24 team B1G, the likelihood ND would be taking multiple West coast trips a year is slim. It would probably only be 1 a year.

They would probably end up in a pod like:

NW
Purdue
ND
Michigan
Michigan State
tOSU

The longest trip in a pod like that is Michigan State at 157 miles.

So let’s compare the closest program to ND, which is Louisville at 231 miles.

But yeah…..Taking less $$$ to join the ACC over the B1G (which I still don’t think they’ll have to join any conference) makes real sense…..Not.

I highly doubt they join the acc for football. The current arrangement, if they can make the money close, is great for them. It allows them freedom to schedule who they want and it gives them a base set of games against schools who are more like ND in terms of size and academics (Louisville is not included within this statement because they suck).

ND wants to stay independent and will do so as long as (1) the money is close and (2) they have a path to CFP. Either of those go away and it’s B1G.

 

[aeromech]

I highly doubt they join the acc for football. The current arrangement, if they can make the money close, is great for them. It allows them freedom to schedule who they want and it gives them a base set of games against schools who are more like ND in terms of size and academics (Louisville is not included within this statement because they suck).

ND wants to stay independent and will do so as long as (1) the money is close and (2) they have a path to CFP. Either of those go away and it’s B1G.

They may be forced to join a conference if the new mega conferences start closing doors on them. Even ND can't survive playing G5 teams every week. If the mega conferences don't schedule them that might effectively block them out of the playoffs as well. They've had a sweet deal the last few decades; but I could see time running out on it.

 

[FightOn!Jacket]

They may be forced to join a conference if the new mega conferences start closing doors on them. Even ND can't survive playing G5 teams every week. If the mega conferences don't schedule them that might effectively block them out of the playoffs as well. They've had a sweet deal the last few decades; but I could see time running out on it.

And if ND does indeed join a conference, they will have their choice of the B1G or SEC. They are the #1 choice / program that could throw everything into the next phase of expansion.

 

[midatlantech]

I highly doubt they join the acc for football. The current arrangement, if they can make the money close, is great for them. It allows them freedom to schedule who they want and it gives them a base set of games against schools who are more like ND in terms of size and academics (Louisville is not included within this statement because they suck).

ND wants to stay independent and will do so as long as (1) the money is close and (2) they have a path to CFP. Either of those go away and it’s B1G.

I actually think that if Tech is left in a depleted ACC that hooking up with other national independents may work.

 

[BackstreetBuzz]

Much more likely that Alabama, UGA, Texas, Ohio State, Michigan, etc. join ND in being independents, keep all their money and quit sharing with the Vanderbilts of the world.