Big Ten Expansion

[Transmogrified Tiger]

If Mizzou joins the Big Ten does that mean when they play Illinois instead of having it at the Edward Jones Dome they would rotate years of having it on each others campuses?

Not necessarily, since Mizzou and Kansas have played at Arrowhead the last 3 years. However, since U of I was pulling out of the Arch Rivalry game, it might mean they're content to just play each other where the schedule would dictate instead of having special arrangements.

[vinsanity]

If Mizzou joins the Big Ten does that mean when they play Illinois instead of having it at the Edward Jones Dome they would rotate years of having it on each others campuses?

Not necessarily, since Mizzou and Kansas have played at Arrowhead the last 3 years. However, since U of I was pulling out of the Arch Rivalry game, it might mean they're content to just play each other where the schedule would dictate instead of having special arrangements.

I can't imagine they'd play on a neutral field, no other rivalries in the Big Ten do. Thought IU and Purdue kicked around the idea in basketball to have the game in Indy in years they only meet once.

I think in football getting the ticket sales and hotel bookings are added revenues teams don't like to lose though.

[ndistops]

I find it funny that Notre Dame was an illegal push into the end zone away from playing for a national championship FIVE YEARS AGO and yet we're supposed to buy into the narrative that the game has passed Notre Dame by.

2005 - 9 - 3
2006 - 10 - 3
2007 - 3 - 9
2008 - 7 - 6
2009 - 6 - 6

2008 was the first bowl game they won since 1995. So sure had it not been for the Bush Push they prolly would have lost the title game instead of the Fiesta Bowl. I'm an ND fan too, but with the SEC's laughable academic standards and the BCS system benefiting, IMO, conferences it is the smart thing to do. Right now their recruiting 'edge' is the NBC contract, but if they keep going 7-6 and 6-6 they are going to lose that and lots of exposure and not have a conference to join.

Since Holtz ND Football has been sliding. Unless they plan to abolish their academic standards and graduation rates, they are going to need to do something else.

People who say things like "since Holtz ND football has been sliding" love to overlook that the three coaches that have led ND since then flat-out sucked, as evidenced of them getting, cumulatively, 1 college football coaching offer of any kind post-ND (and that offer ended up with Willingham the worst coach in Washington football history).

Notre Dame has their fair share of fantastic players right now (Floyd, Rudolph, and Te'o, along with a bunch of highly-rated recruits), so whatever their recruiting advantage is (I don't think the NBC contract is any kind of real advantage anymore, because every notable team plays on TV every week at least regionally), it still exists. Conference affiliation would do nothing but destroy the only thing that really makes Notre Dame different currently from every other football-playing Midwestern university.

[vinsanity]

People who say things like "since Holtz ND football has been sliding" love to overlook that the three coaches that have led ND since then flat-out sucked, as evidenced of them getting, cumulatively, 1 college football coaching offer of any kind post-ND (and that offer ended up with Willingham the worst coach in Washington football history).

Ok...but who has been hiring these coaches? It's not like 15 years of mediocrity is something you can just brush off. It doesn't preclude them from improving and becoming a power again. I hope Kelley is different and turns the program around, I'm not rooting against them at all. But it doesn't change the fact that 20 years ago something was totally different for the program. It could be all Holtz, but it could be other teams have better strong holds in recruiting in their area. USC in Cali, Florida + rest of the SEC in the South and Oklahoma, Texas Texas A&M in Texas.

Notre Dame has their fair share of fantastic players right now (Floyd, Rudolph, and Te'o, along with a bunch of highly-rated recruits), so whatever their recruiting advantage is (I don't think the NBC contract is any kind of real advantage anymore, because every notable team plays on TV every week at least regionally), it still exists. Conference affiliation would do nothing but destroy the only thing that really makes Notre Dame different currently from every other football-playing Midwestern university.

Right and they had the #1 overall recruit in Claussen a few years ago, but he didn't totally restore the program to greatness either. I don't think the NBC contract is the advantage it was 20 years ago, but national exposure every week is something you pitch to guys wanting to play in the NFL or just be stars.

ND has a storied history, but with higher academic standards and currently better programs it's going to become harder and harder to recruit nationally for them. And I'm not entirely sure what conference affiliation would totally destroy, what is that 'thing'? The fact they are the only midwestern football team that is independent? It wouldn't have to drastically alter the historical games they have. Michigan, Michigan State and Purdue would likely be preserved, and there are non-conference games they can still play 4 of their more historic rivalries like USC, BC, Navy, Stanford still.

[slide_into_first]

Tyrone Willingham took Stanford to the Rose Bowl. He would have brought Notre Dame to a respectable position if he had stayed longer.

[Sutter'sBeard]

Tyrone Willingham took Stanford to the Rose Bowl. He would have brought Notre Dame to a respectable position if he had stayed longer.

NOPE! Ask Washington.

[Radio_Bugtussle]

Notre Dame has their fair share of fantastic players right now (Floyd, Rudolph, and Te'o, along with a bunch of highly-rated recruits), so whatever their recruiting advantage is (I don't think the NBC contract is any kind of real advantage anymore, because every notable team plays on TV every week at least regionally), it still exists. Conference affiliation would do nothing but destroy the only thing that really makes Notre Dame different currently from every other football-playing Midwestern university.

It's also very obvious that Notre Dame has a lot of people on the football team who are simply not capable of playing high level football. The recent W-L record and the crappy product forced upon NBC speaks for itself on this.

The overall talent level stinks. The recruiting "advantage" is gone. That fat TV contract is going to go away soon unless things change for the better very soon.

Again, the smart play is to get into the B-10 (if they'll have you) ASAP.

[vinsanity]

Tyrone Willingham took Stanford to the Rose Bowl. He would have brought Notre Dame to a respectable position if he had stayed longer.

NOPE! Ask Washington.

This.

Yes he was given the shortest tenure of any other ND coach and wasn't offered the contract extension like Weis. BUT, the Irish had originally hired O'Leary and hastly hired a new coach after the whole resume debacle.

Then Urban Meyer was looking for a job after Utah's undefeated season and the Irish wanted him more than Ty - come on, how would Tim Tebow have looked at ND? Playing with Touchdown Jesus? It woulda been perfect, but he passed. Ty was 11-37 in Washington in 4 years, including an 0 - 12 last year. They lack the recruiting power of a Notre Dame...but they were just 5 years removed from a Rose Bowl win when Ty took over.

[PurdueSTL]

People who say things like "since Holtz ND football has been sliding" love to overlook that the three coaches that have led ND since then flat-out sucked, as evidenced of them getting, cumulatively, 1 college football coaching offer of any kind post-ND (and that offer ended up with Willingham the worst coach in Washington football history).

Who's overlooking anything? the crappy, overrated coaches who've been in there since the halcyon days of Holtz and Kim Dunbar are the ones who orchestrated the slide...Regardless of the rationale you buy into, it's pretty obvious that the domaz have been nowhere near as good as they were under Holtz.

Conference affiliation would do nothing but destroy the only thing that really makes Notre Dame different currently from every other football-playing Midwestern university.

That's an incredibly poor reflection on ND as a school if this is true....IMO it's nothing short of hilarious (and just a wee bit hypocritical) that all those wails of righteous indignation about ND football losing its "unique character"/"special place" etc. as an independent, have ZERO issues with the rest of the school's athletic programs all firmly entrenched in the Big East!

[Radio_Bugtussle]

People who say things like "since Holtz ND football has been sliding" love to overlook that the three coaches that have led ND since then flat-out sucked, as evidenced of them getting, cumulatively, 1 college football coaching offer of any kind post-ND (and that offer ended up with Willingham the worst coach in Washington football history).

Who's overlooking anything? the crappy, overrated coaches who've been in there since the halcyon days of Holtz and Kim Dunbar are the ones who orchestrated the slide...Regardless of the rationale you buy into, it's pretty obvious that the domaz have been nowhere near as good as they were under Holtz.

Conference affiliation would do nothing but destroy the only thing that really makes Notre Dame different currently from every other football-playing Midwestern university.

That's an incredibly poor reflection on ND as a school if this is true....IMO it's nothing short of hilarious (and just a wee bit hypocritical) that all those wails of righteous indignation about ND football losing its "unique character"/"special place" etc. as an independent, have ZERO issues with the rest of the school's athletic programs all firmly entrenched in the Big East!

These ND true believers crack me up. College football has changed a lot and those changes are not going to stop anytime soon.

Unless several people in the ND administration figure this stuff out very soon, The Fighting Irish will find themselves in the dustbin of once proud programs alongside the likes of Army and Fordham.

It's 2010, not 1988!