I've said it repeatedly, various boards: ND not only could have saved the Big East, it could have turned it into a powerhouse, big two sports: hoops & football.
They would have had their desired, national footprint for football recruiting, esp with VT and Miami in the fold.
In fact, had ND fully joined the Big East, it may have been the ACC desperately trying to protect itself from collapse & maybe PSU leaves the BIG.
Heck, there might even be a Big East hockey league had the above happened.
A school like Lville would have definitely ended up in such a Big East & perhaps UCF or USF.
I may be a BIG fan, in terms of conference loyalty, but I really miss the Original Big East - it was easily my second favorite conference, esp in basketball.