Can Notre Dame still do 'its own thing' without joining a conference? Why one former player says it can't
Independence has always been Notre Dame’s calling card. Its former players have relished in it. As have fans. But a two-time consensus All-American said it shouldn’t be that way anymore.
“My 2 cents: ND no longer has the luxury of doing its own thing,” tweeted former Notre Dame offensive lineman Aaron Taylor. “The economic opportunity cost of NOT joining a conference at this point would be catastrophic to its long term viability…as it will be for all ‘others.’ So, the only question remaining is “where/how.when,” not if…”
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Taylor’s opinion might represent that of the majority at this point.
Last year, when Texas and Oklahoma announced they’d be joining the SEC, Notre Dame was largely unaffected. It’d remain a partial member of the ACC, and a path to the playoff was still viable considering one Power Five conference was strengthened while the other was devastated and depleted. Doubling the same situation makes matters much different.
Now, there are two “super” conferences. When there was only going to be one, there was a sense of “it is what it is.” Not every school can be in the SEC. Geographically, Texas and Oklahoma aren’t too far outside the footprint of the league. They’d reap the monetary rewards as a result. It doesn’t make sense for every school to be so lucky. Not everyone has a brand like OU and Texas either.
Notre Dame is one of the exceptions. It has a bigger brand than both, arguably.
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So when USC and UCLA broke free from the Pac-12 and joined the Big Ten last week, shattering location barriers that until last Thursday still seemed to matter, the wild, wild west (quite literally) of conference realignment was truly born. Notre Dame is like the cowboy in the Western movie every one in town is enamored by. And fearful of. A powerbroker who calls the shots.
The Irish could join the SEC, and people would say, “OK. Yeah. Makes sense.” They could join the Big Ten, and people would say, “OK. Yeah. Makes even more sense.” A week ago, joining the ACC made the most sense. But the opportunity cost Taylor mentioned is very much still in play if that’s the direction Notre Dame goes. The TV rights deals doled out to member institutions are going to be much more lucrative in the Big Ten and SEC. Notre Dame could be leaving 10s of millions on the table.
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So the question Notre Dame athletics director Jack Swarbrick has to ask himself is, “Is the money to be made via the rights deals in a conference more valuable than the independence we’ve hung our hat on for over a century?” If joining a conference makes it more viable for Notre Dame to reach the College Football Playoff, then that could be of more value than any monetary amount. The answer would be a resounding yes. It’d have to be.
“Big 10 rights will determine 2 key factors,” former Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn tweeted in response to Taylor. “What’s the opportunity cost, & who is left out of (CFP). ND sits in a position of leverage w/ multiple networks competing for their home game rights. How desperate will 3 letter networks be for CFB who don’t share Big 10 rights?”
It’s always nice to be in a position of leverage, but nobody ever wants to misuse or waste power. Ask the Western movie characters who don’t play their cards right and end up under a tombstone.
Notre Dame is in a good spot, but there is still a decision to be made. Swarbrick has to be thinking day and night about making the right one. The future of Fighting Irish athletics depends on it.
