I saw CW had a nice write up about the possibilty of ND being a possible member of the Big12. It seems this maybe gaining traction as an article now on Fox Sports explains other reasons this marriage can work. I believe the future of college football with these mega conferences, independents have to find a home. With that said has anyone heard if there are any real talks going on? And if not, WHY NOT????
Notre Dame Talk
- Thread starter cyzmyguy
- Start date
I doubt you will hear any sources say that the Big 12 and ND or BYU are talking until A&M leaves, because no talking will probably go on except for an informal call from DeLoss Dodds to the ND prez that will be kept hush-hush.
Did find this article interesting though
Versus will expand its college football programming - USATODAY.com
This, combined with the DMN tweet that the Big 12 would likely phase in ND to let them keep their NBC contract until it expired in 2015, would seem to continue to point to signs that ND would have to take the Big 12's offer very seriously.
If you're NBCUniveral, you'd have to give ND a nudge to accept the Big 12's offer. Think about 4 years of getting rights to ND home games against Texas, Oklahoma, Okie St, Mizzou in addition to their non-conf home games. Also, if you're NBC, you would then have a good existing 4-5 year relationship with the Big 12 to give you solid footing with the Big 12 Tier 1 deal comes up in 2016. Since NBC-Comcast has been shut out of the major college sports deals, you'd think they'd likely pony up for a Big12 Tier 1 deal with ND included in it.
Anyways, all the ND will be independent forever people will continue to say what they want, but I would think that with the push NBC is making to grow their college sports footprint that they'd nudge ND to think about getting in the Big 12. Whether ND admins would give a rip or not about NBC's desires I really don't know.
This. Notre Dame will not join the Big 12. Ever. Fans of all teams in the Big 12 need to just get that thought out of their heads.
A&M stays. we add ND and BYU. Big12 is large and in charge again. Oh and with a new power... ISU!
But nobody has really answered the question of why ND will never join a conference. Why do they value independence so much?
The Big 12 can easily address stability issues by signing a legally binding contract for x number of years with a rediculously high exit fee.
If it was about the most money, they would've joined the Big 10 last year.
If it was about recruiting, why would you turn down a chance to be in a conference with Texas and friends in the land o 10000 recruits.
If it was about prestige, you can enjoy the prestige now of having a network in the Big 12, but retaining the benefits of being in a conference.
If it was about tradition, conferences are beginning to tend toward 9 game schedules, making traditional out-of-conference rivalries harder to maintain.
I'm still waiting to hear why ND will not join a conference sometime and what exactly it is about independence that they value so much.
wow....THIS.
ND will eventually cave. matter of time. IF they can make $35 million + per year instead of $15 they may at least look at it. Its not like being Independent is making them awesome right now anyway...If we kept A&M and got ND, BYU this would a rediculus conference of 12.
Will it happen...Probably not, but BYU and ND have to least talk about, because it would put them in a winnable situation and make them a TON more money. Just sayin..
The Big 10 offers more money, better academic reputation, more logical geographic fit, and much more stability than the Big 12. If ND ever decides it wants to join a conference, which is doubtful anytime soon, you're kidding yourself if you don't think the Big 10 would enter that lottery and likely win. Texas owns the Big 12. ND isn't going to suck up to anyone.
They might cave eventually and join a conference, but they're not coming to the Big 12.
I can certainly see the similarities in the two situations. (shouldn't need a pirate to detect the sarcasm in this post)
You're spot on, except for two things.
1. If ND joins the Big 10, they're either at 14 or 16 teams, making it that much more difficult to get out of the conference as champion.
But if you join a 10 team big 12 conference, its suddenly significantly more easy to get out of the conference as champion.
2. No ND network in Big 10.
Actually the Big10 would cause ND to lose their TV deal. They could keep that in the Big12, like Texas. Big12 Schools will be making bank here in a few years when we get our first tier TV contract worked out. Adding ND would be a big step in stabilizing the Big12 which appears to already be happening with the new TV deals people are just blowing it up because of a few schools leaving. When we lose the TV contract we are about to sign, that's when you worry. Also isn't the high up person at ND good friends with the guy high up in Texas?
The only thing that changes from ND joining the Big12 is their tradition. And well they haven't been keeping up on that lately anyways.
The only thing that changes from ND joining the Big12 is their tradition. And well they haven't been keeping up on that lately anyways.
Right now, they have full control over their TV rights, and full control over their scheduling. That is what they value so much.
What incentive do they have to join a conference right now? None.
The only thing that will push them toward joining a conference is when the programs that are staples on their schedule (Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue, etc.) start having to play 9 conference games, those schools will have to face the decision we do in regards to playing Iowa. Those schools will want to load up on patsies and will not want to play an improving ND team and risk taking an L. Right now, this is not an issue for ND. ND is so much closer to joining the B16 (B1G) than the Big 12 that it isn't even worth talking about.
Why did Texas stay in the Big 12?? Probably the same reason why Notre Dame would want to stay in the Big 12. We are the only conference who is allowing teams to start there own TV Network. I would think a Notre Dame football network would bring in some major cha-ching for the University, especially with a schedule full of Big 12 South teams. If its all about money, which it seems to be, I think it makes a lot of sense. BYU also makes sense, they already have a network, they can join the league and keep there network. The Big 12 has a lot to offer as a conference.
Like others have already said, ND doesn't want to join the Big 10 because they will lose their sweetheart deal with NBC. However, If they join the Big XII they can maintain their own network just like Texas. In short they can make way more money in the Big XII than the Big 10 or the Big East for that matter. Financially, the Big XII actually makes the most sense for them...and they will need to join a conference if they ever want to be relevant in college football again.