SI/Forde: College Sports is Waiting for Signs from Notre Dame but Independent Irish Can Afford to Wait

[RU848789]

Interesting article from Pat Forde from SI on Notre Dame and what they may or may not due in the future with regard to realignment. His basic premise is that ND can always find a home with the B1G, so there's no need to rush - unless something cataclysmic occurs, like the ACC being frozen out of a path to the National Championship. Will be interesting to see what happens next and when...

https://www.si.com/college/2022/07/...nA545ZBJ04GWRE8NJT0DDrcpyfTLyNW1BzeCR2iutLu14

 

[T2Kplus20]

Interesting article from Pat Forde from SI on Notre Dame and what they may or may not due in the future with regard to realignment. His basic premise is that ND can always find a home with the B1G, so there's no need to rush - unless something cataclysmic occurs, like the ACC being frozen out of a path to the National Championship. Will be interesting to see what happens next and when...

https://www.si.com/college/2022/07/...nA545ZBJ04GWRE8NJT0DDrcpyfTLyNW1BzeCR2iutLu14

Okay, this link is correct. Good job!

 

[mdk01]

Interesting article from Pat Forde from SI on Notre Dame and what they may or may not due in the future with regard to realignment. His basic premise is that ND can always find a home with the B1G, so there's no need to rush - unless something cataclysmic occurs, like the ACC being frozen out of a path to the National Championship. Will be interesting to see what happens next and when...

https://www.si.com/college/2022/07/...nA545ZBJ04GWRE8NJT0DDrcpyfTLyNW1BzeCR2iutLu14

Notre Dame might be able to handle their current payout, but he way overestimates the benefit to the Big 10 of adding them.

 

[miket007]

I hate ND with a passion but I've always felt this. ND doesn't want anything to do with playing in a northern conference-they never have. I see them keeping there deal with the ACC or jumping over to the eventual B12/PAC remnants conference where they'd still play a national schedule....

 

[LETSGORU91]

Either ND can continue with their semi annual, cupcake schedule or step up to the plate and compete yearly with the big boys...what you say ND??

 

[Ash_Hole]

I think waiting on Notre Dame is a huge mistake. And B1G might get sick of waiting after this round.

1) Viewership is way down for Notre Dame:
https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2021/11/30/Media/Notre-Dame-TV.aspx

2) Kelly jumped for reasons and the new coach may suck

3) If ND popularity wanes or they have multi-years of sucking, they don’t bring a major market/city

4) no new recruiting grounds for B1G at all

B1G should play hard-ball. Bring in historical rivals (ie USC & Stanford) and don’t allow scheduling with them.

And if we’re going to relax the AAU requirement for a school, I’d rather do Miami. Great academics and unlike ND, have a hospital system. Get in fertile recruiting state with a team that could really grow in Big Ten with more money

 

[rutgersguy1]

I think waiting on Notre Dame is a huge mistake. And B1G might get sick of waiting after this round.

1) Viewership is way down for Notre Dame:
https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2021/11/30/Media/Notre-Dame-TV.aspx

2) Kelly jumped for reasons and the new coach may suck

3) If ND popularity wanes or they have multi-years of sucking, they don’t bring a major market/city

4) no new recruiting grounds for B1G at all

B1G should play hard-ball. Bring in historical rivals (ie USC & Stanford) and don’t allow scheduling with them.

And if we’re going to relax the AAU requirement for a school, I’d rather do Miami. Great academics and unlike ND, have a hospital system. Get in fertile recruiting state with a team that could really grow in Big Ten with more money

I've posted that article from SBJ awhile back but I wouldn't overestimate how much less of a draw one might think they are. They still draw viewers that the networks want and that threshold depending on the sources is 3-4M.

From Forde's article I posted yesterday and RU# posted above.

In numbers that resonate with TV executives, Notre Dame ranks eighth in the number of non-bowl/playoff games watched in recent seasons by at least three million people, per Sports Media Watch. The Irish had a total of 16 games with three million or more viewers in 2018, ’19 and ’21 (tossing 2020 numbers due to the disparity in number of games played across the nation). That ranks behind only Alabama (26), Ohio State (25), Georgia (22), Michigan (22), Oklahoma (22), Penn State (19) and LSU (18). It’s worth noting that every school ahead of Notre Dame on the list is a current or future member of the Big Ten or SEC. And the next four after the Irish are, as well (Auburn, Wisconsin, Florida and Texas A&M).

edit: I'd also add that whatever draw they do get, without knowing for sure, I'd guess it's coming from the larger cities in the country like NYC and LA and others. Networks can charge higher ad rates for ratings with that kind of demo.

 

[Dpgru]

Does ND maintain that viewership if BIG teams decide not to play them. It is possible that SEC teams may not want to schedule them because those games help ND more than they do the SEC. ND needs to maintain several marquis games to keep the viewership that high. What happens if the BIG and the SEC decide to freeze them out. They better be careful. The days of being an independent may not be able to sustain itself.

 

[kapyoche]

Avoid ND.

Add Miami, Florida State, Oregon and Stanford.
DONE.
Wish we can find a way to add WV.

 

[Shelby65]

League won’t interfere or disallow anyone scheduling ND. That enhances the product no matter what league they are in.

 

[Mr Magoo]

I want ND in the conference..even with all of their drama, but if they don’t want a $100 million a year payout instead of the ACCs 20 million…then screw them.

One would think that automatic regularly scheduled games vs, Michigan, PSU, OSU, Purdue, Stanford and the like would be a selling point but perhaps that’s exactly what they are afraid of. It would also be an end to all of the special treatment they were used to from the Big East and ACC.

 

[rutgersguy1]

League won’t interfere or disallow anyone scheduling ND. That enhances the product no matter what league they are in.

Agree there wouldn’t be an edict from the league. But as these conferences get bigger potentially up to 20-24 team you wonder if there will be an increase of conference games from 9 to at least 10. OOC games could be squeezed out depending on how far they want to go with intraconference games.

 

[Shelby65]

As long as there are OOC games there will be countless programs which would kill to play ND…..not teams which turn over every rock to find extreme cupcakes like Wagner of course, but countless OTHER programs.

 

[mdk01]

As long as there are OOC games there will be countless programs which would kill to play ND…..not teams which turn over every rock to find extreme cupcakes like Wagner of course, but countless OTHER programs.

At South Bend for a big payday.

 

[angmo]

This friggen news is a non-stop commercial for ND. Their majestic supremacy as the king makers of all of college football is rather sickening to behold.

 

[RU848789]

In an interview in SI, ND AD Swarbrick details the 3 things that might drive ND away from independence: "The loss of a committed broadcast partner, the loss of a fair route into the postseason, or such an adverse financial consequence that you had to reconsider." Fairly obvious stuff, but interesting to see it said.

https://www.si.com/college/2022/07/...KRBJibDrbbuqlSsbpAS1cdB-zo8xEQ9be8e8v4L8I8HWU

 

[rutgersguy1]

In an interview in SI, ND AD Swarbrick details the 3 things that might drive ND away from independence: "The loss of a committed broadcast partner, the loss of a fair route into the postseason, or such an adverse financial consequence that you had to reconsider." Fairly obvious stuff, but interesting to see it said.

https://www.si.com/college/2022/07/...KRBJibDrbbuqlSsbpAS1cdB-zo8xEQ9be8e8v4L8I8HWU

Yea I’ve posted those comments before and he was surprisingly upfront and forthright about other things in college too.

He said there are two solar systems with suns that have gravitational pull (B10/SEC) and people are going to have to choose where they want to be. Also said a bunch of schools (he wouldn’t name) want to change conference but can’t because of contractual issues (essentially ACC GOR) and that 2030s time frame could be a time of change (GOR expires). You don’t usually here such forthrightness and openness from administrators about those kind of things.

With those comments it’s a surprise that he didn’t mention that as a fourth condition, stable home for its other sports. I actually think the other three conditions could be satisfied but the fourth is the pressure point imo. Before his comments I’ve always put a 2030s timeframe on them joining a conference (B10/ACC) but with favor towards the B10. I only feel that more now that the B10 has gone national.

So for now I think they can stay indy if they want but by the time of the ACC GOR they’re going to have to make a big decision.

 

[Plum Street]

Independent as long as Notre dame has a good tv contract, a path to the playoff , a few marquee games a year and a home for its other sports