This is very unlikely. You've just forced Penn State, Maryland and Rutgers to fly over that entire pod to join another one and placed what would typically be the top four teams in the conference in the same pod. Not to mention that they would now be the third Indiana team and you only grouped ND with one of them.
ND will join a conference as soon as they get locked out of the CFP.
It was an example. Swap out IU for tOSU.
And when will that happen? The CFP will be expanding to 8-12 teams in the near future. As discussed on XM College Sports, the pending B1G new TV deal with Fox, CBS & NBC, is actually a plus for ND to remain Independent. With B1G no longer on ESPN / ABC soon, ND can set some nice matchups with the SEC, B12 and remnants of the ACC and still get on prime time on ESPN / ABC, while still having day games on NBC.
ND has always demanded a seat at the table equivalent to the conferences when the CFP.
Sounds like you’re just not happy with the fact that ND controls what they want to do as it relates to football. So you would rather ND officially put a nail in the ACC by announcing to the B1G? They are pretty much what’s halting the B1G and SEC from making it a Power 3 (B1G, SEC, B12). The B12 is in a great position geographically to absorb the P12 schools they want, in addition to the remnants of the ACC.
And the sec knows this and therefore has no interest in forcing ND into another conference. It’s in the SEC’s interest to keep ND independent rather than going to B1G.
I'm a bit curious - alliances are forming (SEC/B1G) for the future of the sport - ND seems content to stay on the sidelines as the stakes get higher and higher. There are days that I think ND might be overplaying its hand. I don't think anyone is seriously considering the possibility (however remote) that ND gets completely shut out of the whole thing.
That’s very true which is the other side of the conversation. If the future B1G & SEC refuse to play ND, would playing the leftovers from the P12, ACC along with the B12 and AAC be enough for an undefeated ND to make the CFP? That’s the risk ND seems to be willing to take at the moment, at the expense of losing annual games with USC, Stanford and renewed rivalries with Michigan, MSU, Purdue, etc.
Yes the thought is that we hook up with other national decent programs like ND, Stanford, Oregon, BYU, Ok State, Baylor, BC, Pitt, Duke and play each other. To me it would be more compelling than play regional B level conference for football.
They were in the Big East for all other sports (except perhaps hockey?).
