Conference Realignment Board

Joined: 10/07/1999 Posts: 2331
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What's this?

It's all about being "special"...

When programs win championships and have sustained success over time... they develop a culture where their games matter more than everyone elses, their home field is tougher to play in, their mascots and traditions are on TV every Saturday. And they are "looked up to" by other programs trying to climb that ladder.

With Notre Dame... their independence is their way of being special. They feel their game matter more because every game is a national game in a prime timeslot. Their home field is shown on NBC at 3:30pm every Saturday with their leprechaun and their TD Jesus. Catholics tune in to see if "we" won. Catholic haters tune in to laugh when "they" lose. And college football fans around the country scoff at their special treatment.

Be honest... if you had all that... why would you give it up? Even if they go 25 years without winning a championship (which they have) they are still special every game, every year.

When you're independent, you can never be tied with Wake Forest for 3rd place in the ACC Atlantic... or some other symbol of irrelevance. We ACC fans want ND to join... IN PART so they become just another ACC team. They will fight and make whatever sacrifices necessary as long as they retain their specialness.

(In response to this post by HOO86)

Posted: 07/11/2016 at 12:53PM

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Current Thread:

Swarbrick: Football independence and no playoff expansion are ND's goals -- TerryD 07/10/2016 10:12PM

You can call yourself any thing you want to. -- Maroon Doom 07/11/2016 1:01PM

They were already playing about 3 ACC teams per yr usually ** -- hokeyhokie 07/12/2016 08:27AM

It was three Big Ten schools per year -- TerryD 07/12/2016 11:39AM

Ah, September in the Big Ten. -- HOO86 07/12/2016 12:01PM

ND also used to play Pitt and BC in the Big East -- TerryD 07/12/2016 12:08PM

The best parts of that conference are here now. -- HOO86 07/12/2016 3:04PM

Yeah, I agree. The requirement to play an average of 5 ACC games each year -- seekoHoG 07/11/2016 7:57PM

When independence is more important than winning anything, it's foreign. -- HOO86 07/11/2016 10:56AM

I wonder how much of this is actual belief vs head fake? -- marcbvtgm 07/12/2016 08:48AM

Actual belief--Here is ND's"self standard" re playoffs -- TerryD 07/12/2016 1:43PM

That would seem to work for ND most years -- East Cobb Hokie 07/12/2016 5:19PM

I think it will be a successor. Swarbrick made the current arrangement. -- HOO86 07/12/2016 11:49AM

I noticed that comment more than any other. -- Will Stewart

07/11/2016 4:01PM

It is a Darwinian exercise. Eventually ND will join a P conference or drop -- daveinop 07/12/2016 08:00AM

Never discount that ND may choose to drop down -- TerryD 07/12/2016 12:11PM

That would be fine with me. Recognize it would make BC the face of -- daveinop 07/12/2016 2:03PM

Ok...... ** -- TerryD 07/12/2016 2:21PM

They have also restored it each time as well. -- East Cobb Hokie 07/12/2016 1:21PM

They'll care when it hurts the bottom line. ** -- corvt2000 07/11/2016 6:42PM

And/or hurts recruiting... -- Mr. Touchdown 07/12/2016 10:03AM

Money is not the driver for ND. Their bottom line is not the issue. ** -- seekoHoG 07/11/2016 7:48PM

Again, its easy for them to make that claim while they have steady -- corvt2000 07/11/2016 9:28PM

ND can last longer than the others, but their money started with football & -- Stech 07/11/2016 8:42PM

Will, you were in threads on the subscriber side where Hokies would rather -- PadrosWindup 07/11/2016 6:04PM

Re: I noticed that comment more than any other. -- SoCloseHokie 07/11/2016 4:36PM

He wisely left the door open though, with the follow up of ND staying Indy -- Stech 07/11/2016 4:25PM

I know. It's a bunch of old schoolers simply being elitist and stubborn. -- chuckd4vt 07/11/2016 3:08PM

Are you saying ND would win the ACC title often? -- TerryD 07/11/2016 2:31PM

ND would have to figure out how to beat FSU and Clemson like the rest of us -- HOO86 07/11/2016 4:23PM

A 12 win ACC Champion ND would be in playoff 99.9% ** -- cvillehokie92 07/11/2016 3:52PM

ND doesn't care what the "world" thinks about how it runs things ** -- TerryD 07/11/2016 1:24PM

That's fine while they make money. If they get shut out of a chance -- corvt2000 07/11/2016 6:46PM

Obviously. ** -- HOO86 07/11/2016 1:29PM

It's all about being "special"... -- gman86 07/11/2016 12:53PM

I'm fine with ND staying in the current arrangement with the ACC. -- HOO86 07/11/2016 1:32PM

Real world gains from independence far outweigh theoretical gains -- lawhokie 07/11/2016 1:08PM

As long as ND recognizes that every game is an exhibition game, fine. -- HOO86 07/11/2016 1:28PM

Every game is an exhibition game -- 33laszlo99 07/11/2016 6:14PM

No they aren't. VT plays for Coastal Championships. -- HOO86 07/12/2016 11:51AM

Exactly. -- Atlee Hokie 07/13/2016 11:19PM

You said that better than I tried, thanks ** -- TerryD 07/11/2016 9:11PM

The G5 members are paid handsomely to sit there and look pretty. ** -- crabcake77 07/11/2016 7:37PM

So, if ND goes 12-0 and every conference champ goes 11-2 or 10-3... -- TerryD 07/11/2016 1:37PM

If ND goes 12-0 and all of the other 5 champions are 10-3. -- HOO86 07/11/2016 4:11PM

The problem with your theory is that the CFP pollsters didn't act like that -- lawhokie 07/12/2016 07:55AM

If ND had beaten Stanford, they would have been ranked fifth at the end. -- HOO86 07/12/2016 11:42AM

Pure speculation. What is not speculation, is that the Irish... -- lawhokie 07/12/2016 12:55PM

Not seeing"weak performance in every game and two big game flops" in these. -- TerryD 07/13/2016 12:46PM

99% of the time the CFP committee with have 4 Conferences in final rank. -- HOO86 07/12/2016 1:49PM

Re: 99% of the time the CFP committee with have 4 Conferences in final rank. -- 33laszlo99 07/14/2016 12:09AM

Not sure if you're joking about this... -- lawhokie 07/12/2016 8:32PM

Yeah but they want ratings and an undefeated ND team is in unless -- corvt2000 07/11/2016 9:30PM

Conferences own the playoffs. Without them, there is no playoff. -- crabcake77 07/11/2016 1:53PM

I will take that bet (so will ND)** -- TerryD 07/11/2016 1:52PM

What bet exactly are you taking? ** -- crabcake77 07/11/2016 1:54PM

The one you stated, 6-6 conference champs will.... -- TerryD 07/11/2016 2:23PM

No, I said it wouldn't bother me if it worked out that way. -- crabcake77 07/11/2016 5:35PM

No, ESPN owns the playoffs. They pay for it and will not just -- corvt2000 07/11/2016 9:39PM

Show me in this link where it says ESPN owns the playoffs: -- crabcake77 07/11/2016 11:09PM

Who pays for it? Who has put up hundreds of millions of dollars -- corvt2000 07/12/2016 12:53PM

Exactly, the conferences own it. -- crabcake77 07/12/2016 3:08PM

"to preserve ND's Indepence for as long as possible ", sounds like he knows -- Stech 07/11/2016 01:26AM

Nah, you are parsing words ** -- TerryD 07/11/2016 07:15AM

Did you see ND doing a 5 game ACC football agreement before it happened? -- Stech 07/11/2016 10:45AM

The current playoff structure lasts until 2025 -- TerryD 07/11/2016 1:44PM

That is a question I been wanting to ask the Notre Dame posters. -- VaTechie 07/11/2016 11:51AM

Things changed, but for the next 12 years, the playoffs -- TerryD 07/11/2016 1:42PM

Most likely scenario for change is Big 12 going under or losing P status. -- daveinop 07/11/2016 2:28PM

ND becoming full member...not in our lifetime -- nebraskafaninwi 07/11/2016 09:13AM

If winning the MNC is not important, then I agree. ** -- Mr. Touchdown 07/11/2016 11:56AM

Did you see the SEC, ACC and B1G going to 14, 13 years ago? ** -- Stech 07/11/2016 10:37AM

Yes....and to expect ND and TX -- nebraskafaninwi 07/11/2016 12:11PM

Don't fall into the trap that the majority of the the Power Conference -- Stech 07/11/2016 1:43PM

I'm not seeing it either despite their agreement with the ACC -- hokeyhokie 07/11/2016 09:55AM

For some odd reason, I feel there's a higher probability that ND will... -- EDGEMAN 07/11/2016 10:09AM

ND roots are in the East, not the mid-west. ** -- East Cobb Hokie 07/12/2016 5:21PM

I don't consider myself a ND... -- Toastie Hokie 07/10/2016 10:58PM

It's all about being "special"...

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