OT: Notre Dame declines bowl bid

[gtcam]

ND- join the ACC the right way and become eligible to play in the ACC football tournament and get in with an auto bid starting next year because I an sure the ACC will get that passed by the NCAA. Duke, with how many losses feel they should get in because they won a league tournament that is not, as of yet, receiving an auto-bid. Both ADs are out of their minds. The NCAA sucks but rules are rules.

 

[NHUConnfan]

I mean, the entertainment is amazing, but to be real...this is a bad look for ND, for the ACC too, and ultimately CFB.

It's no secret that the ACC is held together with thoughts and prayers right now. We all know how easy it would be to collapse the conference, and ND knows this too. They're being mighty petty but they absolutely could stick it to ACC (and they're also doing this to stick it to ESPN). I think it's mightily stupid for the ACC to stick their neck out in this. They should be thankful they didn't get locked out of this CFP and figure out their broken championship scenarios.

College athletics is already in a precarious spot, and the ACC is the next domino to fall in the uber consolidation of conferences. I don't think we've heard the end of this story. There very well could be ramifications this spring/summer that extend beyond CFB.

 

[Fan1978]

no different than turning down an NIT invite.

First they were totally screwed. Ahead in first four reveals. Then Alabama jumped them because commitee wanted to protect Alabama from byu win. Then miami jumps them with no new information. If nd was behind earlier fine. To change at the end for political reasons is bs. By the way, the players decided not to play . Why get hurt before draft. Sec is always taken care of.

 

[CTBasketball]

Everyone is spinning it to fit their narrative. Bama's name recognition and history got them in, like Notre Dame doesn't have unbelievable name recognition and history. Miami doesn't deserve it because the ACC sucks. Notre Dame was left out because they don't have a conference and this will force them to join a conference. Bama got in because the SEC is evil and controls college sports...

Notre Dame will not join a conference because of this. It might drive them further into independence.

 

[UCFBfan]

ND- join the ACC the right way and become eligible to play in the ACC football tournament and get in with an auto bid starting next year because I an sure the ACC will get that passed by the NCAA. Duke, with how many losses feel they should get in because they won a league tournament that is not, as of yet, receiving an auto-bid. Both ADs are out of their minds. The NCAA sucks but rules are rules.

Didn’t someone say that starting next year ND gets an auto bid if they finish in the Top 12? If so, they don’t need a conference for football. They could get kicked out of the ACC for Olympic sports and move them to the BE. 😀

 

[pilgrim]

I despise Notre Dame as much as Duke and Cuse

Yup if'n your team is too successful, eventually you're on the "anybody but..." list.

 

[pilgrim]

You listen to Hurley's pressers that's certainly how he views his players. He has spoken numerous times about the changing pressures on these kids because now that they're being paid to show up they're expected to perform; the stakes were different when it was just a scholarship at stake but now that they're actually receiving checks...

The game ain't changed. It just got more fierce.

Basketball game most definitely has changed, as in 3 points shot for starters.

 

[BPT2Storrs]

In my opinion ND deserved to be in. Everyone always complains about their schedule, it’s not as bad as people make it seem. You can’t compare ND to an SEC or Big Ten school, which is why they are not trying to be in a conference, it’s going to take away existing rivalries and likely their national brand.

Each conference wants as many bids to the CFP as possible, I’m sure they’ll all collude to keep ND out until ND makes a decision. Breaking up the ACC might help ND as only a few schools from the ACC will be picked up by SEC, Big Ten or Big 12, either way the bigger those conferences you get the more you dilute the product. Doesn’t that ultimately help ND (unless the conferences band together and shut out any team that’s not SEC, Big Ten or Big 12).

 

[Scoe]

Life is about being resilient, I don't like any of these teams turning down bowl bids or NIT bids I don't think it helps matters. Did anyone feel sorry for UConn when they were banned for the tourney in 2013 he'll no, ya think Shabazz wanted to play in a tourney ban season.

The victim mentality and choosing to be wimps instead of using this as fuel and being resilient makes me dissapointed in ND, especially Marcus Freeman.

 

[CL82]

Part of me thinks that the ND - ACC chaos could open up a door for UConn in the ACC. But a larger part of me, knowing how the NCAA works, will just assume that they would make new commercials saying "the P3" about 5 minutes after the ACC collapsed...

"P2 + 1"

 

[jdb50]

ESPN with the season long hype makes the FBS playoffs seem like the Alabama invitational. Notre Dame should join a conference. With their current schedule they get hit if multiple teams have down seasons whereas if they were in a conference they would make the championship game to go to the playoffs. With the huge leagues things are screwed up as teams in league don't play the same opponents. This would be solved with regional leagues of 10 teams where the winner gets into the playoff and there would be no need for a championship game. But we are never going back there. Unfortuately.

 

[giddyup]

It’s part of the ongoing swirl down the toilet. ND should be ashamed of itself for disrespecting the sport. Any school declining to participate should be banned from the CFP the following year. Likewise any player that goes into the portal and doesn’t play in a bowl should be banned from any CFO games. You watch how fast people get in line, schools and players alike. These collective pigs fail to realize the trough they eat from is fan revenue.

 

[WrenchFan69]

Likewise any player that goes into the portal and doesn’t play in a bowl should be banned from any CFO games.

This has already been deemed illegal in court

 

[BlueandOG]

It’s part of the ongoing swirl down the toilet. ND should be ashamed of itself for disrespecting the sport. Any school declining to participate should be banned from the CFP the following year. Likewise any player that goes into the portal and doesn’t play in a bowl should be banned from any CFO games. You watch how fast people get in line, schools and players alike. These collective pigs fail to realize the trough they eat from is fan revenue.

I agree. I sort of understand a blue chip player missing a bowl game for NFL combine prep, but a school should never turn down a bowl. Period.

 

[Kolumbo]

I can see how everyone at ND is upset because they were ranked as a CFP team up until the final decisions were made and they believe the ACC was at least partially to blame. Irreparable damage.

It seems to me if ND wants to remain football independent there will always be conflict with a P4 conference partial membership. It would be very reasonable for ND to join the Big East. Like minded institutions in a more regional footprint, much more NYC/Northeast focused, and only 11 current members. It's a win-win. Programs like cuse and bcu would certainly rethink their situations because the ACC route just isn't working and they'd want to continue playing ND. UConn joining the ACC would really make things interesting. Not saying anything would happen but there is certainly the potential.

 

[ninety-nine]

All I'll say is that I'm sick of this conversation about whether or not Notre Dame's rejection of the ACC bowl spot is justified turning into an opportunity for talking heads to pontificate on how no one wants to see a G5 team in the college football playoff, nevermind two of them. They live in a damned bubble. "No disrespect to Tulane or JMU, but no one wants to see Tulane or JMU because they're going to get destroyed and the game will be boring."

Those are the games I find most interesting, personally.

 

[HuskyNan]

ND back to the BE in Olympic sports would do wonders for WBB

Not so much these days

 

[Jimdish255]

I can see how everyone at ND is upset because they were ranked as a CFP team up until the final decisions were made and they believe the ACC was at least partially to blame. Irreparable damage.

It seems to me if ND wants to remain football independent there will always be conflict with a P4 conference partial membership. It would be very reasonable for ND to join the Big East. Like minded institutions in a more regional footprint, much more NYC/Northeast focused, and only 11 current members. It's a win-win. Programs like cuse and bcu would certainly rethink their situations because the ACC route just isn't working and they'd want to continue playing ND. UConn joining the ACC would really make things interesting. Not saying anything would happen but there is certainly the potential.

Except for the money and the exposure they would sacrifice, and the fact that every other conference would line up against them (a reality they've just accelerated) this sounds like a great idea. The "irrepairable damage" they want to project onto the ACC with this tantrum has been exacerbated by their reaction to it. I have no idea how this works out but IMO the days of ND laying down terms to power conferences while not being in one are coming to an end. There are situations in life where being right is not the only consideration when choosing your battles. ND has been the exception to this rule and may try to extend their autonomy indefinitely when in reality there is a degree of co-dependence with other leagues outside of their exclusive network contracts. I guess we'll find out if it's realistic but it seems there are cracks emerging in a strategy that has benefited them until now.

 

[B1GEast]

The optics are bad for Notre Dame in the short term. They have a written guarantee that if they are ranked in the top 12 next year, they're in.

They'll have a solid recruiting class, a good schedule and a nice deal with NBC that pays them.$50 million annually.

I'm sure the CFP will revise the rules to expand to 16. Either way, although there's disappointment, when you look at the whole picture, this is a minor setback.

Until the CFP makes a definitive statement that to play in any bowl, you need conference affirmation, Notre Dame will always find a way.

Unfortunately for UConn, being the only other independent left, if we want to shoot for the CFP, we have to join a conference. Realignment ramps up in 2029.

 

[Kolumbo]

I think there's a ND presser

 

[uconnfan68]

All I'll say is that I'm sick of this conversation about whether or not Notre Dame's rejection of the ACC bowl spot is justified turning into an opportunity for talking heads to pontificate on how no one wants to see a G5 team in the college football playoff, nevermind two of them. They live in a damned bubble. "No disrespect to Tulane or JMU, but no one wants to see Tulane or JMU because they're going to get destroyed and the game will be boring."

Those are the games I find most interesting, personally.

Sure didn't mind seeing Boise St take down Oklahoma.

 

[UConnRock]

Join the ACC and play the 9 conference games. Traditional rivals BC and Stanford are already in the ACC, so they can easily be made permanent opponents. That leaves 3 OOC games for USC, Navy and one other team of choice. But if you join a conference you are forced to play more away games. I guess they could schedule ACC games at the neutral sites.

 

[Hamms30]

Ok this is actually pretty funny 😆

Please... Little Giants is a true underdog story. Scrappy group of misfits takes on former Heisman winner coached team with unlimited NIL potential at Kevin O'Shea Chevrolet? Way better than Rudy.

 

[TheDude]

Please... Little Giants is a true underdog story. Scrappy group of misfits takes on former Heisman winner coached team with unlimited NIL potential at Kevin O'Shea Chevrolet? Way better than Rudy.

Baylor just declined a bowl bid. What a farce. I guess they will be fined by Big 12.

 

[BRS24]

ESPN with the season long hype makes the FBS playoffs seem like the Alabama invitational. Notre Dame should join a conference. With their current schedule they get hit if multiple teams have down seasons whereas if they were in a conference they would make the championship game to go to the playoffs. With the huge leagues things are screwed up as teams in league don't play the same opponents. This would be solved with regional leagues of 10 teams where the winner gets into the playoff and there would be no need for a championship game. But we are never going back there. Unfortuately.

Alabama is the Duke of CFB. Gets talked about and propped up like Bear Bryant was still coaching. Glory days this, glory days that.