ND Creeping Into Big 12

[Blue Horseshoe]

First with Olympic sports, then...

http://texas.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1377426

[Dreadman24]

Darnit, just when I thought Marquette was safe...

[GGGG]

Orangebloods has been known to be wrong on a number of occasions regarding conference reallignment over the past couple of years.

[Bocephys]

Orangebloods has been known to be wrong on a number of occasions regarding conference reallignment over the past couple of years.

Let's hope they're wrong again, the Big East could use a little stability these days.

[PJDunn]

The Big East and stability are mutually exclusive.  I still hold out hope for that mythical bball only conference.  Having our fortunes are tied to second and third tier football programs is not a winning solution.

[NersEllenson]

Sorry can't resist:  Why should we worry?  We have Larry Williams.  He can simply put a call into his Notre Dame network and ensure they act in a way to help Marquette - such as they did to get us the aircraft carrier game.

On another note - why would those Notre Dame alums and friends of Larry's - not lobby to get Notre Dame playing an aircraft carrier game??  Hmmm...

[Dr. Blackheart]

This is the B12 creating rumors in advance of the Beast contract deal in September to create havoc in advance. UND would not gain any leverage by jumping now. UND is in bed with NBC and B12 is not. UND would go from driving the bus in the Beast with NBC/Comcast to giving in to Texas.  They are in a stronger position to wait the BE deal out in the fall and then bid out next year if it doesn't go their way.  UND alum profile matches the BE.  Gamesmanship backed up by ESPN who sees the BE dipping into Texas. 

[Groin_pull]

Don't see this happening. ND alums are all over the East Coast. They have no connection to dusty cow towns like Waco, Stillwater, or Lubbock. Seems like an odd fit.

I assume the Big 10, PAC 12, and ACC told ND it needs to be ALL sports or forget it. No more of this "everything except football" crap.

[Aughnanure]

Sorry can't resist:  Why should we worry?  We have Larry Williams.  He can simply put a call into his Notre Dame network and ensure they act in a way to help Marquette - such as they did to get us the aircraft carrier game.

On another note - why would those Notre Dame alums and friends of Larry's - not lobby to get Notre Dame playing an aircraft carrier game??  Hmmm...

Gooooddddd.....Shut. Up.

[StillAWarrior]

Sorry can't resist...

We know.

[Bocephys]

I think Ners is the new Chicos.

[lab_warrior]

Sorry can't resist:  Why should we worry?  We have Larry Williams.  He can simply put a call into his Notre Dame network and ensure they act in a way to help Marquette - such as they did to get us the aircraft carrier game.

On another note - why would those Notre Dame alums and friends of Larry's - not lobby to get Notre Dame playing an aircraft carrier game??  Hmmm...

Fixed. 

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

I agree with the Dr. here.  I still think NBC, what most will say, will overpay for the Big East contract as they have no conference affiliation right now.  I keep reading the "sandwiching" things around ND over 4 time zones which sounds like something that will totally stoke ND's ego.  NBC Sports is not moving into that new very large building in Stamford, CT with the intent of not expanding their sports network outreach.

[Dreadman24]

There is a playoff system coming so ND would be more inclined to join a conference.

[Pakuni]

There is a playoff system coming so ND would be more inclined to join a conference.

Only if the playoff system excludes independents or non-champions of conferences, which it won't. ND's independence is more likely to help them, just as it has with the BCS, which created a special rule to help ND get into BCS games.

[Bocephys]

Only if the playoff system excludes independents or non-champions of conferences, which it won't. ND's independence is more likely to help them, just as it has with the BCS, which created a special rule to help ND get into BCS games.

ND specifically had to sign off on said playoff system, so there's no need for them to join a conference since they're already heavily involved.  From the very first line in this ESPN article: http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8078786/bcs-commissioners-reach-consensus-four-team-college-football-playoff

The BCS commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick on Wednesday endorsed a seeded four-team playoff model for college football that would begin for the 2014 season.

[lab_warrior]

The BCS commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick on Wednesday endorsed a seeded four-team playoff model for college football that would begin for the 2014 season.

Great, now we can get TWO craptacular, unwatchable dreck games to determine the "National Champion", rather than one.

Just looking through the list, there are only three BCS title games, IMO, that lived up to any of the hype, and were worth watching:

'02 OSU-Miami
'05 TX-USC
'10 Auburn-Oregon

College football is the worst.
 

[Pakuni]

Great, now we can get TWO craptacular, unwatchable dreck games to determine the "National Champion", rather than one.

Just looking through the list, there are only three BCS title games, IMO, that lived up to any of the hype, and were worth watching:

'02 OSU-Miami
'05 TX-USC
'10 Auburn-Oregon

College football is the worst.
 

Well, to be fair, couldn't the same be said of many recent college basketball title games?
Only three since 2000 - Cuse-Kansas in '03, Memphis-Kansas in '08 and Duke-Butler in '10 - have lived up to the hype. Outside of those three games, the average margin of victory in the title game has been 11 points.

[lab_warrior]

True for sure, there have been some clunker basketball title games...and from watching this week, the CWS is somewhat underwhelming.

But at least the teams that ended up in those games actually had to earn their way there, rather than have coaches and sportswriters, oh, sorry, "computers" vote them there.  Teams like Butler have NO CHANCE if basketball determined its champion like football. 

[Dawson Rental]

There is a playoff system coming so ND would be more inclined to join a conference.

How does joining the Big 12 in everything except football help them get into the football playoff?

[kmwtrucks]

It gives them stability for all its other sports and allows it to remain IND in football.  It also means the Big 12 commish is on your side as well as the Texas commish is on your side when things about FBS are being discussed.  The Big East AD is lucky they even let him in the Room let alone have a say. 

[Abode4life]

It gives them stability for all its other sports and allows it to remain IND in football.  It also means the Big 12 commish is on your side as well as the Texas commish is on your side when things about FBS are being discussed.  The Big East AD is lucky they even let him in the Room let alone have a say. 

Do you really think the Big 12 commish and Texas are going to help ND just to stay independent?  If anything, they would want to corner them (not publicly) into joining the Big 12 in football.

[Bocephys]

Do you really think the Big 12 commish and Texas are going to help ND just to stay independent?  If anything, they would want to corner them (not publicly) into joining the Big 12 in football.

I agree, I don't see ND joining any new conference without sacrificing football independence, and that won't happen as long as NBC is willing to pony up the cash for the ND TV deal.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

I didn't see this interview with the Memphis AD before today (it's 3 weeks old) but an interesting read.

http://ucf.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1370666
Big East on NBC & ESPN?

[mu72warrior]

according to an article in todays Chicago Tribune, ND says this isn't happening