Notre Dame & NBC to the Rescue? (Updated 10/25/11)
by Mountaineer Chuck on Oct 8, 2011 8:13 PM EDT
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Print* update: I was 100% incorrect in my desperation and am DAMN glad to admit it!
BIG 12 HERE WE COME!!!
Notre Dame has been much maligned in recent years. I’ve been part of the chorus of haters that resents their position at the elite of college football. Their own network? Their inclusion in Big East Olympic sports and basketball without mandating their participation in football? I even cheered when Pitt beat them, and I would usually rather have the flu than do this.
But NBC and Notre Dame may be the Big East’s last hope.
Consider this possibility: Notre Dame joins the Big East in football, securing NBC contracts as the BIG EAST network for football, basketball, and Olympic sports. In return, Notre Dame is guaranteed one of two weekly NBC college football games of the week. As well, because of their position as "most seen" they would be entitled to a commensurate level of T.V. money.
Here’s the plan: after we kick UCONN to the curb (as if 10/8/11’s ass kicking wasn’t enough), and adding four new Big East schools, we’d be left with six basketball only schools (Georgetown, Providence, St. Johns, Seton Hall, DePaul & Marquette) and ten football schools.
The 10 football schools would include:
Cincinnati
Louisville
Notre Dame
Rutgers
USF
West Virginia
And new football members…
ECU
NAVY
UCF
Villanova
Before you shoot down this plan with your smoking musket, consider what Notre Dame has to gain by doing this. Savior status amongst the Big East schools. Security amidst all of this turmoil. As well, a relatively easy conference football schedule would supply ample opportunities to be in BCS games.
And money. Loads more of it.
I’ve long thought that to make college athletics more competitive, the entirety of the league revenues (TV, Bowl games, etc.) should be divided up according to two factors:
1) Final place in Conference standings.
10 football teams? Millions in revenue?
1st place gets 15%
2nd = 13.5%
3rd = 12%
4th = 10%
5th = 9.5%
6th = 9.0%
7th = 8.5%
8th = 8.0%
9th = 7.5%
10th = 7.0%.
It can’t get more American than earning what you get.
2) Your television marketplace ratings.
The number of times you’re on television would equal a greater number of revenue dollars. Winning teams get to be on television. No one watches losing teams.
These two concessions in division of conference football revenues would give Notre Dame what they really want ($$$), and enable the rest of us to at least have a shot at competing for those dollars by beating the hell out of them and cheering for everyone else in the league to do so, too.
This plan also comes with the bonus that ND already plays Navy each year and they’ll be able to keep four of their other current non-conference rivalries (while not completely exhausting themselves during conference play). Also, they won't have to change the Big East logo on their stationary or basketball court.
I know it’s a big stretch, and a dream, but unless Oliver Luck knows something we all don’t, we’re relatively close to being left out in the cold. I prefer dreaming to dread.
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I don't mean to sound snarky
But I think there is a better chance of Notre Dame joining the SEC than becoming a full member of the Big East. And there is probably a better chance of Notre Dame dropping its football program before they join the SEC.
If Notre Dame really wants to join a conference in football then the Big Ten, ACC, and Big 12 will all take them right now. Notre Dame stands to make way more money in those leagues than in a BE that is on the verge of dying. In fact, I’m pretty sure Notre Dame is making more money now in their independence than they would by playing in the BE. If you were Notre Dame what would you do?
Snark away...
If I were Notre Dame I would obey the great commandment of Jesus and do unto others as I would have them do unto me. I would embrace the example of Christ and sacrifice my well being for the benefit of others. It would be the Catholic thing to do.
Unfortunately, I’m not Notre Dame and Notre Dame has more interest in making $$$ than in making people think about Jesus and sacrifice and loving their Big East neighbors (a few of whom are Catholic schools, need I remind them).
The nature of my dream shows the sad state of my desperation.
by Mountaineer Chuck on Oct 9, 2011 3:59 AM EDT up reply actions
Ya
hate to tell you buddy, but it’s well-established news that ND, if forced to join a conference, wants to join the ACC. I feel like that’s why we haven’t seen UConn and Rutgers join the ACC yet, because the ACC is still waiting on ND, hoping.
Da'Sean Butler - A Mountaineer Legend
by McCutchenIsTheTruth on Oct 9, 2011 5:01 AM EDT up reply actions
I think ND is agnostic between ACC and Big10
Depends on how the ACC’s tv contract negotiations go but the Irish play four Big10 schools year in and year out, how many ACC schools do they play every year?
by Tim Riordan on Oct 10, 2011 10:22 AM EDT up reply actions
I'm
just going off of several media reports from ESPN, CBS, etc.
Da'Sean Butler - A Mountaineer Legend
by McCutchenIsTheTruth on Oct 10, 2011 2:40 PM EDT up reply actions
Michigan thinks ND are the ecclesiastical embezzlers - they love the domers.
We’re Texas.
We don’t derive our value or self-definition from conference affiliation.
If that strikes people as cocky, so what? It’s also true. None of us will chant our conference’s name when we have an off year and Texas Tech wins their bowl game. Our definition of self comes from us – not our conference, not our rivals, not media perception.
by Snide Aside on Oct 11, 2011 12:55 AM EDT up reply actions
no offense, but this is the worst idea ever...
I’m not arguing the premise of the teams you’ve included or whatever, but you ABSOLUTELY cannot split revenues unequally. Colorado and Nebraska, and eventually A&M and more than likely Mizzou, all left the Big 12 because of unequal revenue distribution.
Texas took the most, then OU, then it trickled down. Its not a viable model for keeping membership happy. This was all a problem long before the Longhorn Network was even a factor (its a 3rd tier media rights issue, not as important as people think or make it out to be in the online world).
If I’m wrong, tell my why, to save the Big 12, Texas agreed to renegotiate all of the Big 12 media rights (1st and 2nd tier) and allow the conference to go to an equal revenue sharing plan like every other conference…
Unless you want to cut a deal with ND that makes Texas's choke hold on the Big12 look like a kindly hug
This will not happen.
Personally I think the best option for the Big East football schools is to convince the conference to drop IA football so they can stay on as hoops schools (and other sports) while either going indy, hooking up as GB only members to existing conferences, or starting their own new conference that only supports football. The hoops schools can then support FCS football and bring those schools back into the conference.
If they all go Indy a gentlemen agreement among them to schedule games could make the hell of indy life a bit more palatable.
If some want to be football only in supporting conferences (right now only the MAC but I could imagine other mid majors making exceptions for Cincinnati or WV) they could still play each other in OOC play to keep the conference rivalries alive This gets you Bowl tie ins and a small share of the BCS money.
I don’t know if the NCAA would allow a one sport conference but if it did you would all be able to pick off any good FCS schools looking to come up (football only) or maybe even tempt away ECU, UCF, Temple so long as the get their hoops out of a 1A conference.
people make...
…Independent sound so easy. It’s not. When you’re Indy you only make what your program makes… there’s no revenue distribution from other schools. Giant brand names like Notre Dame can make this happen. Service academies can do this because, let’s face it, competing on a national level isn’t really their top priority most of the time, and BYU probably won’t stay independent long when a deal like the Big 12 is looming on the horizon where a LOT more money stands to be made. WVU isn’t a huge brand name, There aren’t a ton of crazy rich alumni. People from California all the way to Maine can be seen wearing Notre Dame gear for whatever reason, and that isn’t the case with WVU. Schools like WVU, Louisville, USF, Rutgers, UConn, and Cincy would not survive or stay relevant as an independent.
by MountaineerAirman on Oct 10, 2011 12:28 PM EDT up reply actions
bingo...
BYU might survive longer than we anticipate just because of the influx of donations from Mormons everywhere.
But otherwise, yeah, there has to be a GARGANTUAN alumni base to support it. Texas realize they can’t even make it work.
Texas
could go independent.
Da'Sean Butler - A Mountaineer Legend
by McCutchenIsTheTruth on Oct 10, 2011 2:42 PM EDT up reply actions
Texas won't!
We’re Texas.
We don’t derive our value or self-definition from conference affiliation.
If that strikes people as cocky, so what? It’s also true. None of us will chant our conference’s name when we have an off year and Texas Tech wins their bowl game. Our definition of self comes from us – not our conference, not our rivals, not media perception.
why not?
you can load up the schedule with cupcakes and own your very on network….
wait….
" Lord Stanley, scratch their names on your fabled cup" Mike Lange june 12, 2009
by oldtimehockey09 on Oct 11, 2011 1:12 AM EDT up reply actions
You think Notre Dame, UCLA or Stanford are cupcakes?
We’re Texas.
We don’t derive our value or self-definition from conference affiliation.
If that strikes people as cocky, so what? It’s also true. None of us will chant our conference’s name when we have an off year and Texas Tech wins their bowl game. Our definition of self comes from us – not our conference, not our rivals, not media perception.
by Snide Aside on Oct 11, 2011 10:54 AM EDT up reply actions
Yes
UCLA is a fresh baked cupcake. Notre Dame is… well, like a stale hardened cupcake.
Stanford is pretty badass, however.
by MountaineerAirman on Oct 11, 2011 9:50 PM EDT up reply actions
Well, how do yo feel about OU and Texas Tech - which Texas would play, independent or not?
We’re Texas.
We don’t derive our value or self-definition from conference affiliation.
If that strikes people as cocky, so what? It’s also true. None of us will chant our conference’s name when we have an off year and Texas Tech wins their bowl game. Our definition of self comes from us – not our conference, not our rivals, not media perception.
If the Big East adds Villanova as a football member, the Big East is officially dead. Sorry, I go to Villanova, and the football program couldn’t stop a nose bleed against Temple.
Full disclosure: I hate Villanova.
lol....
but Villanova football did win an NCAA title, right? And before the basketball program, right?
I do agree…if they step up, they will just be 90’s Temple version 2.0.
Philly will never, never, ever….
Never
Care about College Football…
And that is sad, really.
Now is the time boys to make a big noise.
No matter what the people say,
For there is naught to fear, the gang's all here,
So hail West Virginia, hail.
by JP Fanshawe on Oct 12, 2011 10:38 PM EDT up reply actions
lol - omg - don't be so hard on your team.
At one time, Boise State was a bottom dweller too.
We’re Texas.
We don’t derive our value or self-definition from conference affiliation.
If that strikes people as cocky, so what? It’s also true. None of us will chant our conference’s name when we have an off year and Texas Tech wins their bowl game. Our definition of self comes from us – not our conference, not our rivals, not media perception.
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