T1B

Van wrote:Correction...

It'd be the path of least resistance for everybody except ND if ND would join a conference.

All the bowls, the BCS, the NCAA, pretty much everybody.

It'd be the path of least resistance for ND as well. There are some serious boosters of ND's program (as in, seven figures per year serious) who have promised to cut off all funding to ND football forever if ND ever joins a conference.

That's a pretty strong incentive not to join a conference.

The Big 10 would love it and fans of CF would love it,

The Big 10 would love it. ND's fanbase would not. There's a pretty negative history between ND and the Big Ten, dating back to the 1920's when the Big Ten rejected ND because it was [da horrah]a Catholic school[/da horrah].

You might say it's time for ND to let bygones be bygones, and ordinarily you might even have a point with that argument. But let's not forget, this is the program whose detractors still bring up Ara "going for the tie" against Michigan State in 1966 as if it happened yesterday. When it comes to history of the program, you can't have it both ways.

especially if it meant an annual diet of ND-Michigan, ND-Ohio St, ND-Michigan St and ND-Wisconsin.

We already get ND-Michigan and ND-Michigan State every year, or virtually every year. I agree with you on ND-Ohio State, but ND-Wisconsin is one that ND's fanbase would never accept as a natural rival.

In any event, if the Big Ten were to drop its ridiculous "play us in September or not at all" edict viz. ND, you'd probably see more Big Ten schools on ND's schedule. But that edict pretty much limits ND to three Big Ten schools per year, or perhaps four in years where there are five Saturdays in September.

ND-Indiana is a natural.

Not so sure about this. They're located in the same state and all, but only about 10% of ND's student body is from Indiana. And Indiana isn't enough of a football power for the rest of the student body to care much. ND-Indiana do have a regular rivalry in basketball, but of course, Indiana has a much more high profile basketball program than football program.

I looked it up, and Indiana is in the Top Ten in terms of all-time football games vs. ND, although they've renewed acquaintances only once since 1958.

ND in the Big 10 is a natural.

Most ND fans would disagree.

They have no business cherry picking in the Big East. They're located smack dab in the heart of Big 10 country. They're nowhere close to most Big East schools.

I'm not advocating that ND join the Big East; in fact, I'd prefer that we remain independent. There's no reason at all as to why we should have to join a conference, except to placate those who refuse to think outside the box. Having said that, a few rebuttals are in order:

• ND is already a Big East member in most other sports besides football (except for hockey and lacrosse). Joining the Big East for football would affect the rest of the athletic department far less than would joining the Big Ten. We might also be subject to the Big East buyout fee ($5 million or five years notice) should we join the Big Ten in all sports.
• One Big East school (Pitt) ranks among the top five all-time opponents vs. ND in football (only Navy, Purdue, USC and Michigan State have played more games vs. ND). So we do have an established long-term rivalry vs. at least one Big East school.
• ND's location is irrelevant. ND draws its student body and its fanbase from around the country. Remember, ND's most serious overture toward a football conference to date was toward the ACC, which makes far less sense geographically than the Big East (the south is the region of the country where ND's fanbase is weakest).
• Two Big East schools -- Cincinnati and Louisville -- are located within a four hour drive of ND's campus. Even a school like Syracuse is no farther from ND than Minnesota is.

In addition, there are plenty of other reasons why the Big East would make more sense than the Big Ten, from ND's standpoint:

• TV contract: The Big Ten would require that ND give it up. The Big East would permit ND to continue it.
• Navy: The Big East probably would be willing to add Navy as a football-only member, which would permit ND the luxury of keeping Navy on the schedule without having to burn an OOC game to do it. The Big Ten would not do that.
• Bowl revenue: While I'm certain that the Big East would not allow ND to keep the full share awarded a conference champion if ND won the Big East conference, a share equal to what ND would get as an independent or thereabouts ($4.5 million) is a distinct possibility in years that ND wins the Big East. The Big Ten would not do that.
• The divisional alignment favored by Ohio State and Michigan would have ND playing in the same division with Wisconsin (last met in 1964) and Minnesota (last played in 1938), while missing annual matchups vs. at least two of the following three schools: Purdue (continuous series since 1946); Ohio State (traditional rivals in adjacent states, this rivalry probably should be renewed much more often than it has been); and Penn State (the only northeastern school in the Big Ten, the largest segment of ND's fanbase lives in the northeast, and therefore, it becomes vital that ND play Penn State annually if ND joins the Big Ten).

If Penn State could join the Big 10 rather than the Big East than ND would be a no brainer.

By your logic, Penn State belongs in the Big East.

Hmmm, ND taking their rightful place in the Big 10...That may have to become my next CF crusade.

:-)

Also, late October or Thanksgiving, either time is fine with me for the USC-ND game. It just has to truly feel like Fall, so no September match ups, is all.

Rotsa ruck getting the Big Ten to agree to that.