ND Update

[ctchamps]

The Big 12 is several notches above the Big East, hence why any Big East team offered by them is going to take the offer. The Big 12 is not concerned about the Big East in the least. While they are far from being the ACC, Big Ten, Pac-12, or SEC in terms of stability, as long as Texas and OU are in, the Big 12 is going to be around. If Texas and OU bail, it is over. The Big East has no Texas or OU or anything close.

They don't have to do worry about an implosion. Only the Big East does.

The B12 may not officially be starting these rumors, but someone within the B12 is starting them and that someone may be nervous about the viability of the B12.

I agree the B12 is several notches more stabile than the BE, but the chasm between it and the three stable conferences is far greater than the chasm the BE suffers in comparison to the B12. I don't consider the ACC stable but as things stand this moment they are several notches about the B12. That could change with one move by the SEC.

I agree the BE does not have a Texas and an OU to anchor it football wise, but Texas is the main problem for the instability in the B12. Texas is perceived to be a non team player. It is perceived this way by other conference members, hence the loss of Colorado, Nebraska, Texas A&M and maybe Missouri. The only teams willing to join the B12 are universities with non BCS AQ's or BE teams. These universities are entering a conference with a lot of uncertainty and the only reason they are doing it is because they come from nothing to lose like BYU or from greater uncertainty like TCU or the other BE teams.

So one or more individuals in the B12 are trying to ensure the BE remains more unstable than the B12 and hence the leaks. Doing so is a strategic advantage. It's intended to make it even more difficult for the BE to stabilize itself than already exists. As an analogy a superior football team will still try to blitz an inferior teams quarterback early in the game even if they know they should handily beat the team. They won't stop playing their best in spite of the apparent advantage they have.

 

[alexrgct]

Chip Brown had sources in June of 2010 that no one else did when the conference alignment mess first broke. In these rounds, he's been pretty hit or miss, but there's always been at least a grain of truth to what he's written.

Additionally, just in general, Texas and ND have become more joined at the hip than they were previously. As such, there is likely to be a lot of rumors swirling that involve ND and Texas in one fashion or another.

Having said that, I don't believe adding ND for sports other than football is an endgame that the Big XII has any keen interest in.

 

[UConnJim]

Partial Big 12 is only a possibility for ND if the BE football conference implodes and the ACC won't take them as a partial member. Despite ND heading up the BE football expansion, they are looking out for ND. They are talking with everyone just in case, so they have options. In my opinion, ND's preferences:

1) Status quo in BE as long as most of the football schools stay.
2) Partial membership in ACC
3) Partial membership in B12 (B10 would never be a partial option)
4) Full membership in ACC

 

[willie99]

KC and Austin are miles from NYC, Philly & DC. And way less populated

just not happening

 

[CL82]

Nothing to this poster, but people here seem to mean "doesn't need them" is the same is "can't make more money with them." The ACC doesn't need Notre Dame for hoops, any more than the Big EAst did. But the Big East had them because they determined there was more money to be made with them than without them. And, despite the concensus here, I still believe the Big XII and ACC will reach the same conclusions.

For the Big East, at least, hybrid members have lead to unstability. Notre Dame would have to bring a lot of money to offset that and, as you've pointed out on many occasions, football is where the money is. Hard to see that the basketball and olympic sports of Notre Dame is worth the potential to destabilize the conference.

For what it is worth, when Notre Dame joined the conference their basketball program wasn't anything to write home about. There presence, even in our basketball dominant conference, was due to the hope that they might join for football and benefit they brought by being an occasional candidate for some bowls, far more than anything else, in my opinion.

 

[businesslawyer]

For the Big East, at least, hybrid members have lead to unstability. Notre Dame would have to bring a lot of money to offset that and, as you've pointed out on many occasions, football is where the money is. Hard to see that the basketball and olympic sports of Notre Dame is worth the potential to destabilize the conference.

For what it is worth, when Notre Dame joined the conference their basketball program wasn't anything to write home about. There presence, even in our basketball dominant conference, was due to the hope that they might join for football and benefit they brought by being an occasional candidate for some bowls, far more than anything else, in my opinion.

How in the world would one school that doesn't play football in a conference with fifteen that do "destabilize" a conference?

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I both hate and appreciate the fact that I cannot access this website from my job.

One thing occurred to me today; it has been basically a fact for quite some time now that Chip @ Orangebloods is merely UT's mouthpiece. For any statement, rumor, storym innuendo the Longhorns want released, he is their portal. It also has been published in many places that UT is against the B-12 moving beyond ten members. Mack Brown has repeatedly stated that the conference championship game causes far more harm than good in the quest for a national title and Deloss has stated that he doesn't believe that members eleven and twelve will add as much revenue as they will take (this may well have LHN implications).

The concession on HS telecasts and allowing TCU into the conference are evidence that UT may no longer have the clout they once had. If UT wants the B-12 to stop at ten members, what better way to keep the conference from moving beyond ten is there than leading them to believe that the need to keep a space open for ND?

 

[Jarhead_1775]

Exactly.

I dont know what an empty threat accomplishes, unless everyone else is too dumb to realize it's an empty threat.

And if, in a related note, empty threats are working these days, let me add this: "Hey Boneyarders, send me all your money or I will have you sent to jail."

Sweet. I could use a vacation and a regular sleep schedule.

 

[gars44]

Partial Big 12 is only a possibility for ND if the BE football conference implodes and the ACC won't take them as a partial member. Despite ND heading up the BE football expansion, they are looking out for ND. They are talking with everyone just in case, so they have options. In my opinion, ND's preferences:

1) Status quo in BE as long as most of the football schools stay.
2) Partial membership in ACC
3) Partial membership in B12 (B10 would never be a partial option)
4) Full membership in ACC

It that's it, then ND better be doing one heck of a lot more than it is to make sure WVA and Lville don't leave. Promise some home and homes, something. Because 2 and 3 ain't happnin, and 4 is far worse to them than #1.

 

[baggerbob]

Miami, Virginia Tech, Boston College all left partially because of Notre Dame taking money away from the football schools so those 3 and Duke and North Carolina would not let them in unless it was full membership.

 

[businesslawyer]

Miami, Virginia Tech, Boston College all left partially because of Notre Dame taking money away from the football schools so those 3 and Duke and North Carolina would not let them in unless it was full membership.

LOL. What money did Notre Dame take from the football schools?

This board has gone from absurd to just plain fiction.

 

[Druken Friar]

ND is not going anywhere, even if god forbid Big East football folds up shop. It's not about TV money or BCS berths. ND is unique which is why it is loved and hated by so many. The Big East is a good fit because football membership is not required.

The stability problem has nothing to do with non-football members. It's about a perception problem combined with a ridiculous BCS system. WV is the only ranked Big East school at #25. They just got blasted by the gaggle from Syracuse. Syracuse and Pitt are perceived to be "traditional football schools", why? If the BCS system ends, stability problems go too.

Playoffs are the best answer to a system that tries to keep the championship and the money within a select group of "football schools." Not enough people are complaining and I really don't get it. What are the chances an undefeated Boise State team gets to play in the BCS championship? Zero. That despite pounding Georgia, it won't matter.

It will be interesting to see what emerges with a rebuilt Big East football conference. It's too bad TCU didn't stick around, I think they made a mistake.