Quote:
Originally Posted by eazyb81
Your argument makes zero sense. If the ACC or any other conference added Notre Dame, they would walk into the offices of their network partners and immediately rip up their current deal to start over.
Beyond that though, Notre Dame is less motivated by TV money than any school in the country. ND is all about tradition and elitism. They don't want to join any conference because they think they are too good for one, not because they don't make enough money. The university itself is overflowing with cash.
Notre Dame is not joining the Big 12. It completely defies all logic.
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It makes zero sense to you because you have flipped what I originally wrote. I said, I thought ND will remain indy. If they decide that conference affiliation is what is best for them because of the playoff format/payout, then the B!G or Big XII are the likely choices. The ACC contract situation will likely occur before that, so that hurdle will come first. ND isn't going to try and save the ACC by joining it after the total worth of the conference is deemed inferior to the others.
There's a timeline to this. First, the ACC members have to determine if the contract with ESPN is worth it to them to stay. If it isn't to certain members, they are going to indicate it by not signing over their "grant-of-rights" to the ACC. At that point, they will begin looking at their options in other conferences. If the ACC loses FSU, Miami, Clemson, G Tech, V Tech, Virginia, NC State, UNC and Maryland, there isn't going to be an ACC to speak of. Therefore, once 2014 rolls around, Notre Dame isn't going to be joining it.
If the ACC stays together and accepts the contract, the probability is high that the new format includes an independent Notre Dame scenario that it deems favorable. That is, we would have more than four major conferences. If, however, the ACC dissolves and super conferences evolve into the SEC, B!G, Big XII and PAC, the format may not be very friendly to smaller conferences and independents. That will likely push ND towards a conference. Which conference will probably come down to how much ND values its 3rd Tier rights. If they deem it more important to retain that control, they'll follow Texas' example and join the Big XII. If they favor the geography and more traditional series over sacrificing those 3rd Tier rights, they'll go B!G
Why is that so radical? Notice, I'm not saying Notre Dame wants to join the Big XII. I don't think they want to join anyone. But if the right circumstances lead ND towards conference affiliation, what I have laid out is the choice that will be before them. I have no idea which one they will value more at that point.
But, neither do you. So, saying "it completely defies all logic" is neither demonstrated by your exclamation nor does it have much to support it.