Notre Dame football is set to hold onto its independence as long as possible, but that decision may have just gotten much harder
With conference realignment being such a prevalent topic in college football over the last few years, Notre Dame has been an interesting discussion. With their independence considered, many have wanted the Fighting Irish to join a conference to potentially establish some level of equality. Obviously the program has stood firm with their want to stay […]
With conference realignment being such a prevalent topic in college football over the last few years, Notre Dame has been an interesting discussion. With their independence considered, many have wanted the Fighting Irish to join a conference to potentially establish some level of equality. Obviously the program has stood firm with their want to stay independent, something that makes the program very unique.
With the push toward super conferences, or at least continuing to set the conference hierarchy, there’s a chance that Notre Dame could have their hand forced eventually. If they do, there’s another fascinating debate about which conference would be best. Most would suggest the Big Ten due to their proximity, but the Irish program does also have allegiance to the ACC in other sports.
There has been some hesitation in regards to the ACC conversation for Notre Dame fans, mostly because of the questioned stability for the conference. Schools like Clemson, Miami and Florida State have seemed to be unsettled in their long term allegiance, but that could have ended up being a misalusion.
Here’s what Dellenger had to say about the new deal, including the relevance to Notre Dame:
"As part of a scheduling arrangement under discussion, the league’s biggest brands — Florida State, Miami and Clemson — are expected to play more football games regularly with Notre Dame. The Irish are expected to play, at the very least, two of the three each season in a rotation.
The extension paves the way for the league to potentially finalize a settlement with Clemson and Florida State that would keep them in the conference under possible alterations to the conference grant of rights and the league’s revenue distribution structure, as Yahoo Sports reported in September. The sides, negotiating for months now, are inching closer to a resolution."
As it turns out, a big part of the initiative enacted by the ACC has been to reward their top programs to the best of their ability. Dellenger goes into detail about just ho lucrative it could end up being for those conference powers.
"The changes would come after the conference approved last year what it describes as a “success initiative,” a system that distributes more revenue to teams that excel in football and basketball. The initiative rewards high-performing football programs as much as $25 million if all success benchmarks are met, such as qualifying for a bowl game, finishing inside the top 25 and advancing through the College Football Playoff.
The initiative is an attempt for commissioner Jim Phillips and league administrators to reward winning in a way that helps close the financial gap between the ACC and the two richest conferences: the SEC and Big Ten. The gaps in television distribution — a primary reason for FSU and Clemson’s attempted exits — could soar to more than $30 million per school within the next two years."
This movement is certainly great for the future of the ACC conference, and their ability to potentially compete to some degree with the SEC and Big Ten. It will be interesting to see what impact this could have on Notre Dame, and whether it changes their perspective on independence.
As it currently stands, the ACC would be the most likely conference the Irish would join if the decision is ever made. The conference certainly strengthened their case for Notre Dame, and has become a more attractive option long term. Only time will tell what the ultimate formation of college football eventually looks like.
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