Why Notre Dame doesn't need to join a conference, per ESPN's Pete Thamel
One week ago today, it seemed likely Notre Dame would have to at least publicly address its stance on joining a conference. The waters have calmed. The tide has subsided. No such announcement is imminent, per ESPN college football analyst Pete Thamel.
Thamel reported Friday that the interest from the Big Ten has not been reciprocated by the Fighting Irish. They’re playing the waiting game because they can afford to do so — quite literally. Notre Dame’s decision will have money in mind, as was the case when Texas and Oklahoma bolted the Big 12 for the SEC last summer and when USC and UCLA left the Pac-12 for the Big Ten last week.
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The narrative in the last week has been if it comes down to a monetary motive, the only answer for Notre Dame is to join the Big Ten and reap the rewards of what is bound to be a massive TV rights sum paid to all member institutions.
That might not be true after all.
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“Notre Dame still has a chance at a blockbuster television deal on its own when its NBC deal expires in 2025, as the Irish are attractive to streaming services because they offer a boutique product without all the bulbous inventory that comes with conference packages,” Thamel wrote Friday. “In other words, a nimble streaming service could part a truck in South Bend for six home games instead of being saddled with a lot of Oregon State vs. Utah basketball games on a Tuesday night. (Also, NBC/Peacock could get a piece of the Big Ten and package that with Notre Dame for a day of strong football.)”
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Translation?
“They don’t need them,” an industry source told Thamel of Notre Dame being suited by the Big Ten. “The market is going to be very vibrant for Notre Dame. They’re going to do very well or extremely well.”
Thamel reminded readers of two things. If College Football Playoff access is harmed by the emergence of super conferences, Notre Dame would be forced to make a move. That’s always the ultimate goal when it comes down to measuring success. The Irish also have to find a running mate. Texas had Oklahoma. USC had UCLA. These things work in pairs.
“Notre Dame would prefer that partner be Stanford, which it has scheduled an annual game with since 1997,” Thamel wrote. “They are synchronized in educational missions and Stanford poses less of a recruiting threat to the Los Angeles schools than Oregon or Washington.”
