(07-18-2017 02:53 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  

(07-18-2017 02:09 PM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  Good to know. Schedule flexibility is definitely an advantage of remaining independent, so I can see their point.

I doubt being independent is anything of an advantage to ND, in the sense of having the top nationally competitive football team in the country. That perhaps used to be a thing, but hasn't been for some time.

And when you look at ND's schedules lately, the drop dead minimum games it has to have every year could still likely be accommodated within the framework of being a full football member of a P5 conf.


At this point, it's nothing more than maintaining independence only for the sake of maintaining an otherwise worthless tradition, because some rich guys say so. If you're rich, you don't need an actual reason to make something happen, you can just throw money at it simply because that's what you believe.

That's an ignorant viewpoint of why Notre Dame values its independence (and why the networks are in favor and support of it). Scheduling is just a part of the rationale. The other part is its own TV deal. ND won't give up its lucrative and valuable TV deal just to join a conference, especially when its current set-up is preventing it from competing for national championships. The ACC won't pay ND what is is making on top of the unique payment allotments to the school just to get them as a full member.