Notre Dame has to join a conference going forward

#26
#26
That's absolutely how it should work. If they are ranked in the top 12 then they should be in. The same goes for every other team ranked in the top 12.

If human beings were infallible, then I agree.

Unfortunately, there are going to be all kinds of backstabbing and deal making

There needs to be a clear and obvious system of metrics put into place that are HEAVILY factored into decisions by the CFP.

Whether that involves some sort of agreed upon computer ranking or whatever-I know that has been an issue for some folks in the past. As long as it is something everyone agrees with then let the chips fall where they may
 
#28
#28
Why the SEC and Big Ten allow Notre Dame to get sweetheart deals and crap like getting in being top 12 is beyond me.
The CFP and ESPN do it, not the SEC and B1G, and ND has a $50M / yr TV deal they share with no one (other than probably paying well for coming to their stadium to play.)

Like it or not, they are a big brand that brings lots of eyeballs that the CFP and ESPN would rather have watching the tournament. This year is likely a "throw the other schools a bone" because we made a sweetheart deal with ND token snub.

I don't like how ND gets overrated every year and the CFP deal but I'd expect nothing else from a business standpoint.
 
#29
#29
Originally, they wanted a way to get all of the P5 teams in the mix and also satisfy a G5 team that was undefeated and maybe good. Then the conferences expanded, and it became P4 and the G5. They could easily now connect back to the championship games for the P4 conferences .... yes, make the teams win their conference, give the top 2 a bye and have two teams at large - one for a G5 Team and one for the top ranked team that did not win their championship. That allows an independent like ND a spot.

Folks would still argue but at least the selection is objective and pushes the conference championship games back to the forefront.

Does it end up with the teams that folks may think are the best - no - but it does put the value back on a team winning their conference.

If they did that this year the following would be in as conference champs - and NO ONE would like it at all.

- Indiana
- Georgia
- Texas Tech
- Duke

And this would be the other two teams.
- Tulane (G5)
- Ohio State (highest rank)

The bowl games then have good matchups again and championship games matter. You could probably add two more and still ensure you got the "best" when you had a Duke happen.

But my bet is that rather than backing up we will go to 14 or 16 next year - making this worse rather than better. Now teams are trying to avoid a 4 loss as 3 loss teams will get in.
All this is gonna lead to is blowing everything up. The SEC will be safe because they didn’t really expand out of the regional. But the Big10 won’t survive for long. It’s gonna be hilarious when a west coast conference pops back up.

You can’t have a mega conference like that where everyone rarely plays everyone else and it works. Big ten got too big
 
#30
#30
The CFP and ESPN do it, not the SEC and B1G, and ND has a $50M / yr TV deal they share with no one (other than probably paying well for coming to their stadium to play.)

Like it or not, they are a big brand that brings lots of eyeballs that the CFP and ESPN would rather have watching the tournament. This year is likely a "throw the other schools a bone" because we made a sweetheart deal with ND token snub.

I don't like how ND gets overrated every year and the CFP deal but I'd expect nothing else from a business standpoint.

The big 10 and SEC and ACC could neuter the networks by simply not allowing their teams to schedule an independent Notre Dame
 
#31
#31
The big 10 and SEC and ACC could neuter the networks by simply not allowing their teams to schedule an independent Notre Dame
But they won't because: money and ND is a "major brand" that isn't that tough to beat.

Few SEC and B1G teams fear playing ND and it's a win over a "high profile" opponent who is often very overrated so it's a good win.

The ACC is just looking to hang on and not be so far behind the SEC and B1G, so ND adds a "major brand" for them to play which won't skull drag them.
 
#32
#32
But they won't because: money and ND is a "major brand" that isn't that tough to beat.

Few SEC and B1G teams fear playing ND and it's a win over a "high profile" opponent who is often very overrated so it's a good win.

The ACC is just looking to hang on and not be so far behind the SEC and B1G, so ND adds a "major brand" for them to play which won't skull drag them.

Correct. But the ACC allows ND to have one foot in and one foot out. They need to force them to join fully or no more ACC teams
 
  • Like
Reactions: volfan102455
#33
#33
For those wondering…



I don’t understand how this type of deal is possible

Is there any specification as to which ranking guarantees them a spot? If it’s just the CFP rankings and not the the AP/Coaches polls, it’s the selection committee doing those rankings. If they really don’t want ND in, couldn’t they just arbitrarily rank ND at #13 as a workaround?
 
#35
#35
Is there any specification as to which ranking guarantees them a spot? If it’s just the CFP rankings and not the the AP/Coaches polls, it’s the selection committee doing those rankings. If they really don’t want ND in, couldn’t they just arbitrarily rank ND at #13 as a workaround?
I read that if the CFP expands they can be ranked 13th or better and still get an automatic bid.
 
#36
#36
The ACC can simply pull their teams from giving Notre Dame P4 opponents to play. Notre Dame being the ACC also elevates that conference.

If the P4 conferences decided to collude against them and not allow any of their teams to schedule them, all they can do is play 12 G5 schools. That’s not getting them into the playoff.

Totally agree that Notre Dame should be 'forced' to join a conference if they are to be taken seriously, but I'm not holding my breath on any P4 teams turning down the payday that a Notre Dame game brings in. At the end of the day, $$$$$ is all it's about.
 
#38
#38
Correct. But the ACC allows ND to have one foot in and one foot out. They need to force them to join fully or no more ACC teams
They could but the ACC is not a powerhouse P4 conference and benefits from having a draw like ND play some of their teams. They likely lose viewers to games and will hurt their media deal if they don't play ND some.

It goes back to money. ND brings money to the table when you play them because they're a major, national reach football program. You CAN refuse to schedule them but you're turning down money and exposure for your program if you do.
 
#39
#39
Totally agree that Notre Dame should be 'forced' to join a conference if they are to be taken seriously, but I'm not holding my breath on any P4 teams turning down the payday that a Notre Dame game brings in. At the end of the day, $$$$$ is all it's about.
It’s really not the draw that it used to be. They finished 15th in the country in viewership this season, just a little more than Vanderbilt. They haven’t won a national championship in nearly 40 years. They have rarely been relevant during my lifetime. My generation and the next generation have never seen them win a title. They have an extremely inflated view of themselves, similarly to Penn State, another school that is going on 40 years without a championship.
 
#40
#40
I hate this stupid playoff. ND being an independent is CFB tradition. The playoff has killed conference championships and bowl games. It’s diminishing the regular season. Rivalries are afterthoughts. It sacrifices everything that makes the sport great. I hate it.

100% agree, but 'tradition' left the barn with the expanded playoff and conference "realignment", and it ain't coming back. It's all about money, and if Notre Dame's joke 'independent' schedule gets them a playoff spot, a more deserving team that plays a real schedule has every right to be pissed about it.
 
#41
#41
If human beings were infallible, then I agree.

Unfortunately, there are going to be all kinds of backstabbing and deal making

There needs to be a clear and obvious system of metrics put into place that are HEAVILY factored into decisions by the CFP.

Whether that involves some sort of agreed upon computer ranking or whatever-I know that has been an issue for some folks in the past. As long as it is something everyone agrees with then let the chips fall where they may

Everyone knows this, and yet we continue with the 'committee'. They clearly don't want a computer controlling what schools are in and out, or else it would be in place.
 
#42
#42
Heres the problem: strength of schedule. Trying to figure out who the better team is when there are so many uncommon opponents.

The solution?

Everybody plays the same schedule. Everyone in the conference plays everyone else in the conference.

You can't control how up or down a conference is, but at least you know that the opponents were the same for all opponents. There is no strength of schedule argument anymore when you do that.

To me, that's the only way to fix it. 4 16 team conferences. 15 game season. No championship games. Use relegation/promotion to bring in smaller teams and weed out weaker programs that are not competitive.

It honestly takes out 95% of the argument. The only arguments would be seeding in the playoffs.
 
#43
#43
Correct. But the ACC allows ND to have one foot in and one foot out. They need to force them to join fully or no more ACC teams

Never happen. The ACC is a joke football conference, and a 7-5 league champ only makes it more true. Adding the mediocre west coast schools was comically stupid, and the fact is that Notre Dame gives the ACC the slightest shred of relevance, especially with Florida State and Clemson falling off the cliff. It's only a matter of time before Miami looks for the exit sign.
 
#44
#44
All this is gonna lead to is blowing everything up. The SEC will be safe because they didn’t really expand out of the regional. But the Big10 won’t survive for long. It’s gonna be hilarious when a west coast conference pops back up.

You can’t have a mega conference like that where everyone rarely plays everyone else and it works. Big ten got too big

Agree the SEC was selective with the expansion. The B1G was trying to keep up with the SEC and ended up with a mixture of teams where logistics just doesn't work. And they are trying to still honor long standing rival games where the SEC with the scheduling and 9 game conference is letting go of that to create a cycle where teams ultimately play each other. The SEC approach will create more worthwhile matchups that will bolster viewership in the long run.
 
#45
#45
There is no incentive for Notre Dame to join a conference. Starting in 2026 if they are in the top 12, they are in the playoffs and can't be left out. Why would they join?
Which is garbage. They would suck in a conference beginning to think another reason other than money is they know they can’t compete in conference well SEC maybe even Big 10
 
#46
#46
The CFP and ESPN do it, not the SEC and B1G, and ND has a $50M / yr TV deal they share with no one (other than probably paying well for coming to their stadium to play.)

Like it or not, they are a big brand that brings lots of eyeballs that the CFP and ESPN would rather have watching the tournament. This year is likely a "throw the other schools a bone" because we made a sweetheart deal with ND token snub.

I don't like how ND gets overrated every year and the CFP deal but I'd expect nothing else from a business standpoint.
The B1G and the SEC can devalue ND overnight if they wanted.
 
#49
#49
It’s really not the draw that it used to be. They finished 15th in the country in viewership this season, just a little more than Vanderbilt. They haven’t won a national championship in nearly 40 years. They have rarely been relevant during my lifetime. My generation and the next generation have never seen them win a title. They have an extremely inflated view of themselves, similarly to Penn State, another school that is going on 40 years without a championship.

Totally agree with inflated self value, but if that's the case why wouldn't they join a conference? As inflated as Penn State's view of themselves might be, they joined the Big 18. At some point, Notre Dame will be squeezed the same way, I would think.
 
#50
#50
The ACC needs to pull their games with Notre Dame until they fully commit to joining a conference of some kind.

It is even better they decided to turn down a bowl bid lmao..... 10-2 beating no one and now they are mad.


Let’s be real. Notre Dame needed to join a conference 30+ years ago.
 

Advertisement



Back
Top