Making sense of Notre Dame's stance in conference realignment drama
Notre Dame has always done its own thing. And it looks like it’s going to continue to do its own thing. Why? It can afford to. And it has time.
There have been several cries from media types all over, including some former Notre Dame players, for the Fighting Irish to finally join a conference. Specifically, the Big Ten. The money might be too tempting not to. But for now, it appears they’ll wait it out.
The Irish have the luxury to do so.
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USC and UCLA won’t become official members of the Big Ten until Aug. 2, 2024. That’s two years Notre Dame can take to watch ripple effects restructure the landscape. If the Trojans and Bruins (and every other current Big Ten member) aren’t getting any of what is expected to be a massive cut from the conference’s upcoming TV rights deal for another two years, then what good does it do for the Irish to make a knee-jerk reaction?
There could come a time when Notre Dame turns into Squidward from the meme in which he’s staring out the window watching SpongeBob and Patrick frolic in the sun. If that ever happened, Notre Dame could simply walk outside and join them. A source told Laine Higgins of the Wall Street Journal that the Big Ten would take Notre Dame “today, tomorrow, five years from now, 10 years from now.”
The Irish aren’t an outcast like Squidward. Nobody is ever going to take Notre Dame’s seat at the table. And if that were to occur, the Big Ten would make that school get up and pull up a stray chair while the Irish were gifted a comfy cushion with plenty of wiggle room.
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The Big Ten wants Notre Dame now. No question. But the Irish are in a position in which they become even more desirable by the day. It’s like playing hard to get in a dating pool. Or being the biggest fish in the pond. It’s fun and a thrill to get anything on the lure, but everyone wants to reel in the big one. Everyone wants what they feel like they can’t have. Or don’t deserve.
That’s Notre Dame.
The Big Ten certainly makes a lot of sense for the Irish, though. Geographically, it fits like a glove. There are also rivalries that could be restored on an annual basis. Michigan. Michigan State. For all the hoopla of “super” conferences ruining college football, the reintroduction of matchups that have meant so much to the sport for decades is certainly intriguing. Look at Texas and Texas A&M. If it took the Longhorns leaping to the SEC to bring that game back, then so be it.
There are some hoops to jump through. Would Notre Dame ditch NBC if it went to the Big Ten, or could the three parties somehow work it out to keep the network that has been attached to the program since 1991 around? It’s been reported that Notre Dame could easily break away from its partial member status with the ACC, but there could be some fine print that makes it more difficult than people have been leading on. Every other Notre Dame sport except for hockey competes in the ACC, after all.
There are things to think about. And generally, thinking about things take time. Especially when the future of the biggest brand in college football is at stake. So Notre Dame isn’t going to rush into anything. It simply doesn’t have to.
