ADVERTISEMENT

Joel Klatt's Idea

Black Elmo 2

ND Fan
Sep 19, 2004
26
8
3
Heard on Colin Cowherd podcast Joel Klatt come up with an idea to strengthen ND's overall position. He suggested if ND left its affiliation with ACC, including all non-revenue sports, and was able to negotiate a similar deal within the B1G that it would allow ND to maintain its "independence" while boosting its home game schedule (thus making them more $$ from NBC) and still gives the non-revenue sports a home (in many ways a better home geographically). Under his scenario ND keeps its independent contract with NBC but must play a minimum number of B1G teams (similar to the ACC deal). Could this be a win/win? It allows ND to keep the same level of independence it has now but still be closely affiliated with a P2 conference, provides a pathway to playoffs even in an B1G/SEC exclusive playoff scenario, and provides more money. I thought it was an interesting suggestion.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Airzee23
Heard on Colin Cowherd podcast Joel Klatt come up with an idea to strengthen ND's overall position. He suggested if ND left its affiliation with ACC, including all non-revenue sports, and was able to negotiate a similar deal within the B1G that it would allow ND to maintain its "independence" while boosting its home game schedule (thus making them more $$ from NBC) and still gives the non-revenue sports a home (in many ways a better home geographically). Under his scenario ND keeps its independent contract with NBC but must play a minimum number of B1G teams (similar to the ACC deal). Could this be a win/win? It allows ND to keep the same level of independence it has now but still be closely affiliated with a P2 conference, provides a pathway to playoffs even in an B1G/SEC exclusive playoff scenario, and provides more money. I thought it was an interesting suggestion.
The non-revenue sports at Notre Dame IMO struck gold with the ACC deal. That said, the idea is indeed interesting.
 
Look....if we end up with two or three super conferences they will just have their own playoff to crown a national champion and everyone not invited to the dance can have their own. They want ND due to money and history etc. but at the end of the day if a new BIG and a new SEC had two 16 team super leagues and their own college superbowl.....what is ND, West Virginia etc. going to do about it?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Zorich 88 and 4-4-3
Sure. If ND agrees for football to play nine or ten Big Ten teams per year (whatever the number of conference games becomes), we will take your non football sports and allow you to keep your $18 million/year NBC football media deal. For non football sports, we will give you more than the ACC is giving you. Say, $6 million per year. And you can retain your independence in football.
 
This is the deal ND spoke to the Big Ten about in 2012. Big Ten refused and the ACC was the last option left.
True.

Truth be told, and if you read those tea leaves, I do not believe Notre Dame wants to be in the Big 10 full time.

And I don't blame them.
 
If we join, it is going to be a weird matchup. The BIG10 sports and ND’s do not align. ND made the bizarre choice to have fencing instead of wrestling. All BIG10 have wrestling. There are other examples. The BIG10 just doesn’t make sense imo.
 
If we join, it is going to be a weird matchup. The BIG10 sports and ND’s do not align. ND made the bizarre choice to have fencing instead of wrestling. All BIG10 have wrestling. There are other examples. The BIG10 just doesn’t make sense imo.

Why would you characterize keeping the fencing program going as a "bizarre choice"? ND's fencing team has sort of been to college fencing what John Wooden's UCLA teams were to men's BB. From 1975 to 1980 the fencing team won 122 consecutive regular season matches. They have won 12 national championships, including 4 of the last 5. I'm not a fencing afficionado, but it isn't hard at all for me to see why ND kept fencing going.
 
Notre Dame never attempted to create a conference in its own image and likeness. And I guess that train has left the station. Wanting to be independent is not exactly something only ND desired. They were the only ones to keep it, but there are other programs out there that tended to play teams outside of just its normal footprint way back when (Miami, Penn State, USC) and FSU wasn't really like the other state universities in the SEC.

Well, what's done is done. ACC leadership screwed up its opportunities by not forcing its members to invest more heavily in football 20 years ago. When former UNC AD John Swofford became ACC commish in 1997 (replacing the forward thinking Gene Corrigan), he let the Tobacco Road insiders into the decision room...and Corrigan was able to keep them out. They hated letting FSU into the conference and blamed Corrigan for trying to promote the sport of college football. Swofford was praised for "saving the ACC" after Maryland left and FSU was looking for other opportunities in 2012, but all Swofford did was sell the ACC down the river into a TV contract that is choking its members. It's easy to save a conference when you only negotiate with one network and give them everything they want.

I am not sure how ND handles its independence status after the ACC goes away. (Every ACC AD is working on an exit strategy). It will be interesting.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 4-4-3 and NDDadx3
Sure. If ND agrees for football to play nine or ten Big Ten teams per year (whatever the number of conference games becomes), we will take your non football sports and allow you to keep your $18 million/year NBC football media deal. For non football sports, we will give you more than the ACC is giving you. Say, $6 million per year. And you can retain your independence in football.

I think Swarbrick is a little better at math than that. He got his degree from ND, after all, not UM.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ivan brunetti
ACC painted itself into a corner with that lengthy TV contract (2036). If they want to expand they'll need to renegotiate the TV contract, and that includes new GoR terms. But if they void the current GoR it will free up existing schools to leave. A dilemma indeed!
 
If we join, it is going to be a weird matchup. The BIG10 sports and ND’s do not align. ND made the bizarre choice to have fencing instead of wrestling. All BIG10 have wrestling. There are other examples. The BIG10 just doesn’t make sense imo.
That's not that big a deal. We already have that issue with ice hockey not being played in the ACC. So we play it in the Big 10 instead.

You're not required to play every sport a conference does.
 
Big Ten wants ND football, not basketball or soccer. Why would the Big Ten go for this. Why would ND go for this. I’d rather join the ACC for football before I’d join the Big Ten.
 
Big Ten wants ND football, not basketball or soccer. Why would the Big Ten go for this. Why would ND go for this. I’d rather join the ACC for football before I’d join the Big Ten.

I've read that the SEC wants Notre Dame to join the ACC for football and then the SEC would look to try to merge with the ACC.

But I can't see football programs like Duke or Boston College being absorbed into that.
 
Big Ten wants ND football, not basketball or soccer. Why would the Big Ten go for this. Why would ND go for this. I’d rather join the ACC for football before I’d join the Big Ten.
I am thinking that the ACC is going to be left out of all of the football money and teams will leave until the conference ceases to exist. College football is inexorably moving to two super conferences and ND's independence will simply become a nice talking point if they don't choose to join one of them.

As a 1974 alum, it's sad to say that, but it is also true. Money has control of college football, period.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 4-4-3
I am thinking that the ACC is going to be left out of all of the football money and teams will leave until the conference ceases to exist. College football is inexorably moving to two super conferences and ND's independence will simply become a nice talking point if they don't choose to join one of them.

As a 1974 alum, it's sad to say that, but it is also true. Money has control of college football, period.
The GOR is a strong impediment to leaving the conference. The football schools are looking at ways out of it. It would behoove the other schools to not get in the way if they want ESPN to be their network partner in their next conference arrangement.
 
The GOR is a strong impediment to leaving the conference. The football schools are looking at ways out of it. It would behoove the other schools to not get in the way if they want ESPN to be their network partner in their next conference arrangement.
But that next conference will not be anything ND will want to be part of if it wants it’s football program to remain relevant.
 
Heard on Colin Cowherd podcast Joel Klatt come up with an idea to strengthen ND's overall position. He suggested if ND left its affiliation with ACC, including all non-revenue sports, and was able to negotiate a similar deal within the B1G that it would allow ND to maintain its "independence" while boosting its home game schedule (thus making them more $$ from NBC) and still gives the non-revenue sports a home (in many ways a better home geographically). Under his scenario ND keeps its independent contract with NBC but must play a minimum number of B1G teams (similar to the ACC deal). Could this be a win/win? It allows ND to keep the same level of independence it has now but still be closely affiliated with a P2 conference, provides a pathway to playoffs even in an B1G/SEC exclusive playoff scenario, and provides more money. I thought it was an interesting suggestion.
Win/win?

Or nothing-burger/nothing-burger.

This sounds like switching from JOCKEY SHORTS to HANES. Same underwear, different label.

But my question is – why does THE REST OF THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL WORLD have to jump through all of these ELABORATE HOOPS just so that ND can remain NOMINALLY INDEPENDENT?

Well, FIRST OF ALL, IT DOESN’T.

SECOND, having ANY AMOUNT OF REQUIRED GAMES dictated to you DOES NOT CONSTITUTE INDEPENDENCE, so why not just RETIRE THE FIG LEAF?

If these super-conferences go ahead and ND is left out in the cold, it will be POETIC JUSTICE.

I mean, how many times does one tail get to wag every other DOG-TEAM in the sport?

Enough with the HUBRIS already. Stay RELEVANT and TITLE-ELIGIBLE.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Black Elmo 2
Win/win?

Or nothing-burger/nothing-burger.

This sounds like switching from JOCKEY SHORTS to HANES. Same underwear, different label.

But my question is – why does THE REST OF THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL WORLD have to jump through all of these ELABORATE HOOPS just so that ND can remain NOMINALLY INDEPENDENT?

Well, FIRST OF ALL, IT DOESN’T.

SECOND, having ANY AMOUNT OF REQUIRED GAMES dictated to you DOES NOT CONSTITUTE INDEPENDENCE, so why not just RETIRE THE FIG LEAF?

If these super-conferences go ahead and ND is left out in the cold, it will be POETIC JUSTICE.

I mean, how many times does one tail get to wag every other DOG-TEAM in the sport?

Enough with the HUBRIS already. Stay RELEVANT and TITLE-ELIGIBLE.
The point about having five games dictated to them each year by the ACC is an excellent point. Also, many times Notre Dame's ACC opponents have a bye week before the they play ND.

Their two most formidable ACC opponents this year (UNC & Clemson) both have a bye week before they play Notre Dame.
 
The point about having five games dictated to them each year by the ACC is an excellent point. Also, many times Notre Dame's ACC opponents have a bye week before the they play ND.

Their two most formidable ACC opponents this year (UNC & Clemson) both have a bye week before they play Notre Dame.
I think that happened with just about every ACC game last year.
 
The point about having five games dictated to them each year by the ACC is an excellent point. Also, many times Notre Dame's ACC opponents have a bye week before the they play ND.

Their two most formidable ACC opponents this year (UNC & Clemson) both have a bye week before they play Notre Dame.
Good points.

The ACC thing was a horse trade. But also a KABUKI DANCE. Heavy on form, light on substance. A kind of a LAWYER’S TRICK that camouflaged ND’s inability to GET A BETTER DEAL and therefore remain TRULY INDEPENDENT, NO STRINGS ATTACHED.

Why does ND need to continue with such a FICTION? Especially since changes in CFB’s overall structure may send it – the ACC deal – tout de suite to the dumpster.

It’s not 1922 anymore.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BM16
ADVERTISEMENT