Good notes on this BG, Panther, Metro, Berhc, et. al.

Conference size does impact the number of schools a conference may land in the top 25 on given years. While the BE is at eight, their closest in numbers (size) is the PAC 10, who have two more. When the count for each can be done on two hands, "two" is significant. Also in the mix is the long term stability and existence of the PAC 10, and its prestigious Rose Bowl history, that fixates it solidly among the elite.
Big East partisans will argue that there are no teams out there that will render an "added dimension" to what already exists in the conference. From a certain angle, I do not disagree with some aspects of this point. However, recognizing the limited possibilities, but also acknowledging that "numbers" do matter in certain contexts, I do view that it is in the Big East's best interest, not to shut itself off from potential additions that are able to be "cultivated" to a preferred level. To a degree, VPI went through this process in the BE, and certainly UCONN is doing it now. Temple failed at it, and Rutgers has been ever so slow.
In any criteria of assessment of a new addition(s), it will need to be looked at in a futuristic manner , closely examining a school's potential and commitment for long term development. Some out there are readily deemed not promising; however, a few, indeed, may be.

On your specific comment Berhc, I could visualize that happening if certain moves and factors fall a particular way. Frankly, many view Notre Dame as having too much special status and opportunity. On the other hand, the bowls and TV, also players in the mix, love the name "Notre Dame" and want every option to obtain them when they are worthy (or near worthy). The case you pointed out, gets stronger when Notre Dame generates sub-par seasons. On the other hand, if Notre Dame is too frequent as a BCS bowl choice, minus the championship game, then the irk of certain BCS conferences can get further flamed. Somewhere there is a fine line.

The BCS is designed to make money.Bowls were designed to make money.Killing ND chances in favor of so-called fairness to CUSA or MWC is an ideal of fanatical fans.TV money drives the BCS system not the number of fans that arrive at a bowl.The only team that has its own tv contract will not be squeezed out of the BCS process by socalled fairness to cusa /mwc teams.ND now receives a yearly BCS level payout similar to what they receive in a BCS conference.ND has a guarantee (special deal) for BCS entrance based on its performance and has a guarantee because of its marketplace.The performance of the BE is still rated superior to either mwc / cusa.And the tv market of the BE is clearly superior to either mwc/cusa.

Irregardless, if any of the 11 1-A conferences meet the three primary BCS autobid criteria, they will be granted a BCS automatic bid, up to the point that 7 autobid spots are used.

TV market is not necessarily an autobid. TV market or "market", or for that matter, "tradition", "bowl attendance", "TV Households", are not one of the three primary criteria, they are discretionary criteria, meaning if the team meets the three primary criteria, these criteria are not used, if they don't, the BCS 8-person committee, at their discretion, can decide to keep the conference or grant the conference a BCS autobid for any of these reasons or other reasons at their discretion.

The only way Notre Dame is guaranteed a spot from 2006 on, is if they are ranked number 8 or higher in the BCS rankings, according to the criteria. If Notre Dame does not go to a BCS bowl, they are guaranteed $1 million.

Read the criteria here, TS2:

http://www.bcsfootball.org/news.cfm?headline=91

If Notre Dame finishes 6-5 and TCU finishes #6 with a 10-1 record this year, TCU will go to the BCS, and Notre Dame would most likely end up in the Insight Bowl. If Notre Dame finishes 8-3 this year and is ranked #13 or lower, they will not go to a BCS bowl, and if TCU is ranked #6, they will. Not saying they'll get to number 6, but this is hypothetical, but realistic in future years given what happened last year. In 2006, any one of the non-BCS conferences can rank #12 or higher, and they will go. If a BCS autobid conference is ranked below a non-BCS team below #14 or lower, then that conference champ from the non-BCS autobid conference would go to the BCS from years 2006 and beyond. Notre Dame would likely end up in the Gator Bowl with 8 wins and a #13 ranking. Last year Notre Dame had a 5-6 record, and Utah finished 11-0 and went to one of the two at-large spots in the BCS, playing BE champion Pittsburgh. Last year is an example of Notre Dame being excluded from the BCS and a MWC champion being included.

If ND is 12 or better it will go the BCS.An ND at 12 will certainly beat out a 10 TCU.

In 2006, if TCU finished number 10 in the BCS polls, it would indeed go to the BCS. Read the criteria, TS2.

I read the article and there was an example of ND being 12th and selected.

If ND was ranked #13 or lower, they wouldn't be selected at all. If they were ranked 9 through 12, they would be "eligible" and if they were ranked 8 or above, they would be "guaranteed."

Of course the 9-12 is still under discussion, but according to Kevin Weiberg, they are likely to stay the same as now for ND.

Latest HArris Poll

http://www.harrisinteractive.com/news/newsletters/bcsnews/BCS_Oct_23_2005.pdf

Of course the SEC and those like-minded would promote elements of their own and would accept benefits from any relinquishing of privileges Notre Dame receives. However, with Notre Dame being such a strong TV and bowl attraction, the BCS continues to treat them as a fundamental and special entity in the mix. Also, getting to play Notre Dame in a prime bowl is something most of them would readily embrace unless taking on another opponent could result in higher rankings and revenue.

Notre Dame is a media and pollster favorite. They will make more mileage with what they achieve than anyone else, and that includes darlings such as USC, Texas, Michigan, and Ohio State.

Notre Dame is set as an independent for years to come. It comes down to the limits the other fb programs, conferences, and organizations (BCS) are willing to go to keep ND enabled. A lot of options are kept open for ND.

Notre Dame is a bit of an enigma.

They could join the BE in FB and have a much easier path to a BCS bowl game. Winning the BE championship seems substantially easier than earning a BCS at-arge bid....

However, THEY DON'T CARE !

They realize more $$$ by being independent, due to their exclusive TV contract.

Could they have both ? NBC is paying for their home games (6 or so). Say they played the other 8 BE FB teams along with Michigan, MSU, Purdue and USC. Would NBC pay them any less ? Notre Dame might have to drop some regulars off the schedule to play BE FB (one of the above 4 or Navy, Stanford, or BYU) to adapt their 12-game schedule to include 8 in-conference games. But they would have a pretty good shot at one of the 4 big bowls, as BE FB champ.

Contrast this with the MWC... they are agonizing over how to secure an automatic bid to the BCS bowl system. It must really only invovle monetary considerations, otherwise ND would be much more excited about accepting the standing invitation they have with the BE or Big Ten. Clearly if your team is competitive, you can earn an at-large - if this wasn't the case, you would see Notre Dame pondering something other than the status quo.......

ND knows how to make money.They know how far to go to preserve what they want for the other athletic programs.They will have 7 home games per year(on NBC),two h/neutral site games per year.

UCLA losing hurt Oklahoma, they went from being a top 25 BCS team to not.