Realignment Megathread (All The Moves)
- Thread starter ISUcyclones11
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Depending on the size of the conference, you’d play 3-5 of the same teams every year… assuming you follow the either protected rivalry or pod route.
I didn’t say join.
It’s a scheduling apparatus. More schools under espn without conference scheduling constraints. ND already has more than that with the ACC.
NDs path forward will be aligned with either FOX or ESPN imo. The advantage ESPN is it allows formal independence, as long as you’re an espn asset, you are basically in the same conference as all the schools exclusively ESPN.
I just think a huge part of what ND values out of independence is freedom to schedule whoever the hell they want, whenever they want, wherever they want. I don't think anything that gives even the impression of losing that with a ESPN/FOX scheduling apparatus will fly. If they're going to do that, why not just go all in with the B1G and make gobs more $$$ than they will as an independent while still retaining most if not all of their annual coast-to-coast scheduling rivalries.
Their AD has talked about how they like to play all across the country (and in Ireland) because they can, and because they have a nationwide fan base.
The ACC now requires ND to play five games a year against ACC schools; I imagine ND is okay with that but if they got pressed on it any further - or even if they just woke up on the wrong side of the bed one morning - they'd tell the ACC to **** off and they'd take their non-football sports back to the Big East, and re-gain control of scheduling all 12 games in football. The Big East could use a 12th basketball program now anyway, and that league is stronger now than it appeared when ND signed the deal with the ACC.
I'm skeptical the B1G will give them what they want because sure, they can protect USC annually, and maybe Stanford too, and throw in a Michigan State or whoever ND wants. But then there are six more games out of ND's control and for every great Ohio State there's an awful Rutgers. For every pretty good and fun game Wisconsin, there's a very much meh Maryland. Etc.
ND will stay independent as long as they can, but who knows what the playoff format will be in a few years. If they are told join a conference or be left out, they will join a conference. The B1G has most of their rivals already other than Stanford and Navy. Stanford might get the invite with ND and they would just have to schedule navy as a noncon. Their other rivals would be scheduled as their protected rivals every year. It just comes down to the ACC getting raided and the new playoff format.
The B1G schools can tell them we aren’t scheduling you non con anymore. Join or find new rivals.
The B1G schools can tell them we aren’t scheduling you non con anymore. Join or find new rivals.
Not sure what USC would do if their new league told them they aren't allowed to schedule Notre Dame. I doubt that was part of the deal.
I think most ND fans would be fine if they could play USC and Navy annually. The other rivals are secondary. Maybe Stanford is in that top tier as well.
Interesting tidbit in an athletic article
That's why Northwestern should be the biggest advocate to get us in the BiG. We'd sell that puppy out.
USC is getting a massive payday to join the B1G. You think they’d decline 80+ million a year and say sorry we’d rather schedule ND? Instead of helping get ND in the conference?
My point is more that I don't know how a league would tell all of its schools not to schedule a particular school without them all agreeing to do so in the first place. And USC is not likely to agree to that.
That's why I would play 4-5 traditional/regional rivalry games every year and smatter in other conference schools. All while balancing SOS over the 9 game conference schedule.
Does it really matter if Iowa State plays WVU, UCF, etc. with any frequency? I am OK playing them a couple times over a 6 year window.
The NFL has proven it's more important to play rivals over other division teams within a Conference.
My wife is going to be pissed when I'm paying $500 pet month to watch away games.
Oh well, she'll have to get over this like the last 35 years of our marriage.
The hilarious thing is I saw ESPN questioning why the PAC teams would want to join the Big 12 when a quarter of the teams are going to be Group of 5 schools. Yet you look at who the Big 10 has added over the last 10 years, and who would you rather have?
LoL bravo. I am only 16 years deep in marriage, she probably has resigned to the fact we are stuck together. And no its a fine marriage.
My alt is JonDMiller but I don't use it much anymore.
If the B1G says jump, USC will ask "how high".
Playing ND is nice to have for USC, but they're about to add some new heavyweight rivals in the B1G to more than make up for that.
Like northwestern, Illinois, Indiana, and Minnesota, amiright?
Let's be real. The B1G is not going to say "Hey USC, we're all not playing your biggest national rival anymore, including you." And if they did, USC is not going to worry about the B1G un-inviting them for responding "Umm, no." Both of those things are absurd.
There's one heavyweight program in the B1G so I'm not sure what this means.
