The never-ending question of whether Notre Dame joins a conference goes on and on because there is yet to be a dilemma for the Irish. No pressure, no need to put it all on the line.

Why? Notre Dame is in no immediate danger of losing its options of staying independent or joining a conference. They can have their cake and eat it, too.

The program still is capable of getting a sweet-heart TV deal. There is enough residual support for ND strongly built up throughout the 20th century to keep interest in the Irish high, no matter what their on-field record is. Meanwhile, the conference-driven structure of the BCS and NCAA has not advanced to a point where conf affiliation becomes virtually expected on the road to a national championship.

So IMHO, ND has no problem sitting and waiting. It still draws TV revenue, fan support, and fan interest; it still can schedule quality oppoenents and keep its national image highly visibile. Even knowing that these conditions can (and probably will) change doesn't force ND administration into the horns of the dilemma; the dilemma has not yet manifested itself. Not manifested yet, but I have NO question that ND knows that day of reckoning will be coming (and maybe a lot sooner than the Irish like)

But what if college football forces ND into a choice? What if ND has to decide: join a conference or become a backwater of college football. And what if that forced decision didn't come first from the inability of the Irish to continue getting the TV deal it gets or from the structure of the BCS and the NCAA?

What if it came from the Big Ten? What if ND has identified the B10 as the place it would like to be if it had to decide (but is glad that it DOESN'T have to decide). What if the B10 was the only viable choice for ND football, basketball, and (equally important) academics?

SO THE QUESTION HERE IS THIS: WHAT EFFECT (IF ANY) WOULD IT HAVE ON NOTRE DAME IF THE BIG TEN MADE STRONG OVERTURES TO MIZZOU, PITT, SYRACUSE (WHOEVER), A STRONG ENOUGH OVERTURE THAT N.D. WAS CONVINCED THAT 12TH POSITON WOULD BE GONE UNLESS IT MADE A MOVE??????????

Even though The Big10 maybe the highest priority for ND, it isn't the only choice for ND. It can always goto to the ACC and take either Pitt, SU, or even RU to make 14.

ND won't be dictated to by the Big10. If the Big10 inquires about Mizzou, SU, RU, or Pitt; ND will just send out inquires to the ACC, JMO.

If academic missions were important, the ACC would be a better fit for ND as the ACC has 4 private schools (Wake, Duke, Miami, and BC). Bringing in SU with ND would make 6 privates.

The advantages for the Big10 are geography, historic FB rivalies and the CIC. ND doesn't have a big graduate school and it would obviously be a big boost.

Panther,

I don't disagree with you that ND has other options than th B10 if it joins a conference. My point was, what IF it felt that the B10 was the choice due to being the only conference whose region it not only in, but smack in the middle of....as well as other consideration such as academics (and the conference's CIC academic division), the most long-standing rivalries (UM, MSU, Pur, NU) and conference prestige...and IF that door were starting to close to it, what would it do?

There will ALWAYS be a conference affiliation for ND (as long as the sun comes up every morning). The real question is, which one has the univ identified as the one it would like to join if the need for affiliation ever became mandatory.

My thoughts on this is Notre Dame need to be in a conference especially the Big 10 but if the Big 10 started to invite another team they would give Notre dame one finnally chance to say ya or na. Then if ND said no they would expand and ND will still be left out in the cold.

_________________
The Bear may be dead but he still hates Tennessee. Roll Damn Tide

I agree that ND has played many games over the years with Big Ten schools. But according to the following article, it appears the longest uninterrupted rivalries are with USC and Navy:

Football approach to change at ND
Athletic director says school cannot continue to compete the way it wants with its usual tough schedule.
USA Today
August 20, 2004
http://www.indystar.com/articles/1/171857-3311-036.html

Bgdz and PantherSC97, Interesting questions. IMO:
• The Big Ten is the right answer for ND, if/when they decide to make a move to conference football.
• Jim Delaney has stated that ND probably has a standing invitation to any conference it wants to join, so I don’t believe that the Big Ten would ever use Missouri, Pittsburg, or Syracuse to “bait” ND into making a quick conference decision.
• The Big Ten will continue to wait for ND, at least for the next five to ten years.
• Adding additional Northeastern schools to the Big Ten would enhance the probability that ND would choose the Big Ten.
• The Big Ten should be proactive in adding a twelfth school, so that options don’t become more limited. Syracuse would be my selection for number twelve.

Weaker schedule probably means more games with BE.

Pressures of being
one and only Irish
Flying solo both helps, hurts Notre Dame
By Barry Svrluga
Updated: 11:33 p.m. ET Oct. 1, 2004
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6154772/

Interesting article, Cybercat!

ND probably could keep their NBC contract, enhance their chances to make it to the BCS, make their schedule a bit softer, and have more games for the "subway fans" in the northeast, by simply joining the BE. That will not happen though.

Since that link is no longer working.
Here is one for the Washington Post's version:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A1639-2004Oct1.html