Interesting Commentary by ND’s Swarbick on Independence/Conference affiliation | The Boneyard

Interesting Commentary by ND’s Swarbick on Independence/Conference affiliation

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Kinda obvious from a business point of view but not sure I’ve heard it actually said...

Irish Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick joined Allison Hayes on the set of ABC57 Saturday Kickoff on senior day. They discussed Notre Dame's independence and the importance of scheduling:

>>"That kind of leads me into the whole conference conversation. That's something that's ongoing, I'm sure. Everyone always asks, 'Can Notre Dame continue to be an independent in football with the way the playoff system is in college football right now?'" Allison said.

"Well, we can right now. We acknowledge that there are external factors that could change that over time. We have to have a media partner to do it. We have a phenomenal media partner but if that were ever to change down the road, that would be a factor. What the college football playoffs evolve to over time. I'm not suggesting change is imminent, those things always evolve. That will be a factor for us. We're always going to look at it. Our preference, strong preference, is to stay independent but external factors may have a say in that someday," Swarbrick said.<<
 
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I’ve always thought B1G seemed like the right fit for ND. Somewhere along the line some pretty convincing arguments arguments were made that ND gets students from the East and Southeast and that the ACC made sense for long term growth.
 

SubbaBub

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What he is saying..

As long as someone is going to pay them top money ti csrry their games nationally, they are staying.

As long as the Playoff won't defacto exclude independents, i.e. 4 best teams over 5 Conference Champions plus 2 at large and 1 G5, they are staying.

As long as they can play a top level national schedule, they are staying.

If there media brand diminishes because their fans die off, they suck for a decade or more, a backlash against the church they represent, or if the CFP limits their access, or if the P5 all go to 9 or 10 conference games forcing a healthy diet of AAC/MAC teams in South Bend or worse road games at those places ND may have to take a look at full time membership.

In otherwords, never say never but not while he's in charge.
 

CL82

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They won't join the B1G until they are forced to either via economics or via playoff access. The Irish totally [fornicated] the OBE, and thus UConn, but you have to admire the way that they have positioned and branded themselves over the year.
 

gtcam

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Screw Notre Dame
The screwed the Big East and then all their posturing during the P5 formation screwed teams like UConn
UConn or some other school should have been in the ACC instead of ND because UConn's commitment to football would have been all in for the ACC
I despise anything Notre Dame
 
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What he is saying..

As long as someone is going to pay them top money ti csrry their games nationally, they are staying.

As long as the Playoff won't defacto exclude independents, i.e. 4 best teams over 5 Conference Champions plus 2 at large and 1 G5, they are staying.

As long as they can play a top level national schedule, they are staying.

If there media brand diminishes because their fans die off, they suck for a decade or more, a backlash against the church they represent, or if the CFP limits their access, or if the P5 all go to 9 or 10 conference games forcing a healthy diet of AAC/MAC teams in South Bend or worse road games at those places ND may have to take a look at full time membership.

In otherwords, never say never but not while he's in charge.
Aren't they engaged to the ACC until 2036?
 
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Give them enough $$$$ and they are joing a conference. My guess is Big 10 within the next 5 years.
I think contractually they have join the ACC anytime before like 2037 i thought. It would be perfect for them with only Clemson being a true heavyweight. FSU can come back as well.
 
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They may not be engaged...but do wear an ACC promise ring.

Their $15 million per year NBC contract is through 2025....we could see movement if NBC doesn't want to cough up...or ESPN offers more.

With CBS giving up their SEC game of the week to ESPN for not meeting a reported $350 million bid

....how much would 7 Irish home games be worth? More than $15 million?
 
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Is ACC appealing to Notre Dame for football though if they ultimately decide to join a conference. Always felt like they were a Big 10 type of football program.
 
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Is ACC appealing to Notre Dame for football though if they ultimately decide to join a conference. Always felt like they were a Big 10 type of football program.

1...The Irish have a historic beef with the Big Ten...going back to the days of more open anti Catholicism and being blackballed by Yost at Michigan for years.

Many fans are unaware of the fact that the Western Conference (the predecessor to the Big Ten) blackballed Notre Dame in the early part of the 20th century. The University of Michigan, far and away the most powerful school at the time, stopped playing Notre Dame's budding football program and convinced the other members of the conference to not play them in an indirect attempt to squelch ND's growth before they became a legitimate threat.

Notre Dame was blackballed by so many schools back then that they developed a nation wide schedule

2...When Gee was President at Ohio State...he prickled those historic sensibilities by some statements (some called anti Catholic and some just said stupid) that upset Notre Dame.

Notre Dame responded...you can read into what you will.

Notre Dame spokesman Dennis Brown said, "We find the remarks most regrettable, particularly regarding Father Joyce, who served Notre Dame and collegiate athletics so well and for so long.



3...Notre Dame seems content with their five game ACC schedule

4...Notre Dame is bound to the ACC until 2036...36 years from now. I don't care where they are in 40 years...I'll be gone.
 
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As you know, no one is bound to a conference. If there is enough $$$ (and I am assuming Notre Dame has boatloads of it) they can go to the conference of their choosing. I just don’t see ACC as a good conference for their football program. It’s Clemson and not much else.
 
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Meanwhile Virginia is playing in the Orange Bowl. Not sure that ND being a 5/8s member of the ACC is a good thing for ND.
 

Chin Diesel

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1...The Irish have a historic beef with the Big Ten...going back to the days of more open anti Catholicism and being blackballed by Yost at Michigan for years.

Many fans are unaware of the fact that the Western Conference (the predecessor to the Big Ten) blackballed Notre Dame in the early part of the 20th century. The University of Michigan, far and away the most powerful school at the time, stopped playing Notre Dame's budding football program and convinced the other members of the conference to not play them in an indirect attempt to squelch ND's growth before they became a legitimate threat.

Notre Dame was blackballed by so many schools back then that they developed a nation wide schedule

2...When Gee was President at Ohio State...he prickled those historic sensibilities by some statements (some called anti Catholic and some just said stupid) that upset Notre Dame.

Notre Dame responded...you can read into what you will.

Notre Dame spokesman Dennis Brown said, "We find the remarks most regrettable, particularly regarding Father Joyce, who served Notre Dame and collegiate athletics so well and for so long.



3...Notre Dame seems content with their five game ACC schedule

4...Notre Dame is bound to the ACC until 2036...36 years from now. I don't care where they are in 40 years...I'll be gone.

#4. You meant 16 years from now??????
 
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As you know, no one is bound to a conference. If there is enough $$$ (and I am assuming Notre Dame has boatloads of it) they can go to the conference of their choosing. I just don’t see ACC as a good conference for their football program. It’s Clemson and not much else.

Not so sure about money allowing one to buy out of a GOR...it has not been done yet. And I don't think you will see it.

Paying an exit fee is one thing...but having a conference own your media rights (for all excepting football home games) for a decade or more, is another thing entirely to negotiate a buy out for.

And...there is that pesky contract that the Irish executed with the ACC that binds them to join the conference in football if they leave independent status.

No....not going to happen. The Irish, if they join a conference for football, it will be the ACC.
 
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Not so sure about money allowing one to buy out of a GOR...it has not been done yet. And I don't think you will see it.

Paying an exit fee is one thing...but having a conference own your media rights (for all excepting football home games) for a decade or more, is another thing entirely to negotiate a buy out for.

And...there is that pesky contract that the Irish executed with the ACC that binds them to join the conference in football if they leave independent status.

No....not going to happen. The Irish, if they join a conference for football, it will be the ACC.
If we join it will be the ACC without a doubt. ND love's the make-up of ACC schools, with the mix of private and public and smaller schools. The Big Ten is nothing but huge state schools (minus Northwestern) and besides geography we do not share a lot with the Big 10.
 
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Not so sure about money allowing one to buy out of a GOR...it has not been done yet. And I don't think you will see it.

Paying an exit fee is one thing...but having a conference own your media rights (for all excepting football home games) for a decade or more, is another thing entirely to negotiate a buy out for.

And...there is that pesky contract that the Irish executed with the ACC that binds them to join the conference in football if they leave independent status.

No....not going to happen. The Irish, if they join a conference for football, it will be the ACC.
I am skeptical that these GOR's are as restraining as we think they are. That's for the courts to decide if and when we see a program leave a conference. And if, if one program were to challenge a GOR and succeed, Whoa, Nellie.
 
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I am skeptical that these GOR's are as restraining as we think they are. That's for the courts to decide if and when we see a program leave a conference. And if, if one program were to challenge a GOR and succeed, Whoa, Nellie.
Didn’t Maryland have to challenge the GOR they signed with the ACC to leave?
 
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Didn’t Maryland have to challenge the GOR they signed with the ACC to leave?
I believe that settlement was related to exit fees. GOR's are an entirely different form of "punishment."
 
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I believe that settlement was related to exit fees. GOR's are an entirely different form of "punishment."
Yeah. You’re right. The GOR wasn’t signed until after. Maryland had to pay $50 million.
 
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Yeah. You’re right. The GOR wasn’t signed until after. Maryland had to pay $50 million.
Knocked down to about $30 mill. I'm no lawyer but having a program leave a conference and losing all of its media rights money. I just don't see it.
 
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Well...when the Beatles sold out their catalog to Sony...and then tried to get it back in court...nada. Taylor Swift is crying...but someone else owns her catalog.

Selling media rights is a lot...lot...different then negotiating a exit fee.
 

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