BiG looking like nice fit for Irish?

Trial balloon or just another blogger's opinion?

Inside Notre Dame's Fighting Irish by Jason O'Mahon
June 19, 2012 at 07:57 AM

BiG 12 looking like a nice fit for Irish

The days of an Independent college football powerhouse are numbered!

The BCS lords will meet this week to decide the future of a possible BCS play-off or plus-one game.

It is a widely accepted opinion that should such a proposal, which seems inevitable and much sought after, be implemented......then it will eventually force the hand of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish sports programs to join a conference to be even considered as a participant in the playoff/plus one format.

In essence expect the two highest rated teams after the bowl season to play for the BCS national title game. That is not good news if your team happens to reside in the ACC, Big East or for Notre Dame.

Currently the University of Notre Dame is affiliated with the Big East in all of it's sports programs except football. The Fighting Irish football team have a lucrative TV deal with NBC who have the exclusive rights to show home games until 2015.

Once the Notre Dame / NBC contract elapses, it is widely envisaged that Notre Dame will establish it's own broadcasting network to showcase it's football and other sports.

The University of Texas already has it's own TV network in place with ESPN.......oh.....and I forgot to mention that Texas is already affiliated with one of these play-off conferences right now.

Reports published on BCS.org would seem to suggest that an agreement on the proposal is eminent. The conference commissioner's and Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick, will be presenting the proposal to the BCS presidential oversight committee on June 26th.

Expect an announcement in early July as to the new format in determining the number one in college football.

So what does all this mean for the Notre Dame faithful? Well.....it is very simple really, affiliate your football program to play-off conference or get left behind.

As to where the Fighting Irish end up is still unclear right now. Spectulation amongst ND fans right now tend to lean towards the BiG 12. I'd be in agreement on the BiG 12, as it seems the most logical choice and already has agreements in place with schools (Texas) that want to showcase their schools events on their own networks.

The BiG 12 have also recently entered into a bowl agreement with the SEC, similar to that of the Rose Bowls agreements with B1G & PAC12. The Bowl game will begin in 2014 as both conferences will send their highest ranked representative to a January 1 game, and possibly their respective conference champions if they are NOT involved in the proposed new BCS play-off format.

Still a lot unclear, but if Notre Dame do take the plunge to the BiG 12, then expect some major names from the ACC to follow suit.

Jason writes for IrishCentral and domersportsreport

You can find him on twitter at @jayomahony

Read more: http://www.irishcentral.com/story/sport/inside-notre-dames-fighting-irish/big-12-looking-like-a-nice-fit-for-irish-159560415.html#ixzz1yM8sSFPX

I think you meant Big 12 not Big 10. This article is from an Irish-American website not ND specific. There are so many mistakes in this "article" that I don't think anyone can take it seriously. My favorite one is "Reports published on BCS.org would seem to suggest that an agreement on the proposal is eminent."

ND to the B1G is our worst case scenario, IMO. If the go to the ACC we likely come along. If they go the Big 12 then we end up in a depleted ACC.

the baylor writr on 247 says this weekend things will happen.

I don't see this .... yet. The ND alumni are rabid about their independence and will fight any conference affiliation. Love the school or hate it, it is one of the things that make them different. More, such a move would not align with who and what ND is. In other words, the B12 would need to add FSU and another geographically interesting partner, otherwise they are a catholic school landlocked in the middle of nowhere with partners having nothing in common. Last, this is not a good fit for ND - they'll be surrounded by cowboy boots and cornfields. I get why folks, particularly the B12, would push this, but if I am ND I don't see it. They will never get left out of the playoff while an independent IF they could field a good team.

Agreed on Big 12... Could't edit header/ topic.

Well I sure hope that if they go to the Big 12, the Big East keeps any necessary spots open for any ND sports that the B-12 doesn't offer.

Just sharing the article.

I'm not sure this isn't another maternal basement dweller but even a blind squirrel finds a nut occasionally.

Sheer silliness; ND is not joining any conference any time soon let alone the Big12.

What exactly does the Big12 have to offer ND that is so attractive that ND would go there as opposed to the B1G or the ACC or even the BE for all sports?

ND is not going to the Big XII. Period.

Anything that is truly floated out there by ND sources (as opposed to teenagers on their basement computer) would be done to put pressure on the ACC and/or Big Ten to improve the terms they would offer ND to join.

ND is not, repeat not, going to the Big XII.

Brian Ethridge‏@TruthOrBear247
Was just told by a great source, "Big 12 expansion is imminent."

I hear ya...but this is either picking up steam or they are wishing harder (Big 12):

“@ChipBrownOB: Sources in B12 tell OB Notre Dame moving Olympic sports into #Big12 becoming more and more likely. ... http://t.co/r0EsYb9n #ND #cfb”

I agree that ND is using the B12 to get a better deal from the ACC or B10 but surely Texas knows this right? What is in it for Texas to continue to spread rumors via Orangebloods that ND is coming other than to excite the WVU board. They're not that naive are they?

Is there a rule regarding how many conferences a school can spread its teams around? B12 doesn't offer soccer, IIR, and ND is going to HE soon.

ND AD just said it is another garbage rumor from the B12. B12 seems pretty desperate these days with these rumors.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...ort-of-big-12-switch-20120620,0,4551897.story

...but left himself some wiggle room: "The third is related to the stability of the Big East, which we get more information on every day. In that sense, pieces of that are starting to fall into place, and that will put us in a time and place where we probbaly take a look at it and decide what we're doing."

ND will always have options. There is no way they will commit 100% to anyone. Therefore, he is just covering all bases in case something changes. He is just being media savvy, which is something the BE could learn from him.

Just to be clear, if the Big XII offers ND a non-football membership, that ND could take. But football is not going to the Big XII now or ever.

I agree with this. ND football is never joining the BigXII for football and limiting their reach to the plains and Texas.

It's really hard for me to imagine ND leaving even a severely depleted Big East as a hoops only for the Big12. Aside from Kansas, there's not even any other perennial elite hoop schools.

I am pretty sure B12 made the non-FB offer to ND already. If ND does leave the BE in non-sports, I am pretty sure it won't be the B12. For one thing, B12 does not even sponsor half of the Olympic sports ND participates in.