ND must now join a conference
- Thread starter Ole.Ted
- Start date
I’d rather play all over the country. What’s the point in a conference?
So being average on the field IN a conference is your idea for becoming relevant ?
Our independence, while at one time helped us, no longer does. These current players and recruits have no knowledge of our past. Kids want something to play for, and with early losses, they don't have it. The only people who even care about independence are old guys like me. But it ain't about these people; it's about today. All things must pass; Also with the changing landscape of CFB, it's inevitable
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It all starts with the head coach, if that problem doesn’t get resolved it’s all for not
Couldn't disagree more. Being independent is what separates ND from other programs. We are a national school and play a national schedule. Other schools cannot make that claim. Conversely, joining a conference would not improve the football program one iota.
Being in a conference and losing to Rutgers and Northwestern will get you left behind faster !
There’s going to be a 12 team playoff. If you can’t make that, then go play a bowl game. Conferences are for schmucks.
Come on man, this a ridiculous response. Given the current landscape, and trajectory of CFB, please list the benefits to ND for remaining independent
Nothing about the "current landscape and trajectory" of the game, whatever those things may be, are reasons to join a conference.
1. National footprint
2. Recruiting
3 Exclusive TV deal
4. Uniqueness
5. Tradition
P.S. ND grads have a different perspective !
Usually the “conference” threads are reserved for the off season.
Have you been following CFB? 1, 2, and 3 are no longer true and 4, and 5 don't matter to this generation of recruits. We haven't won a national title since 1988. Oh, and #4, tgsts a joke, right? Your list effectively proves my point.
What makes you think you can speak for a generation of recruits, most of whom have different ideas about different matters?
1, 2, and 3 are as relevant today as they were 34 years ago.
You must not be an ND grad
With technology every contending team has National footprint, recruit nationally and are on TV every game, that is not how it was 34 years ago, so that is patently and provable false. Uniqueness, tradition. A grass field qas a tradition to. Tell me how independence currently helps ND toward winning in recruiting and moving towards a national championship vs the perennial contenders. If your only answer is to question whether I'm an alum, then you are one of the grey hairs who I reference, and there is no need to further discuss
Oh, so now you altered and qualified your argument by limiting it to teams that “contend” for the National Championship. That’s disingenuous..
Most teams recruit regionally, ND has always recruited Nationally.
Name the teams that have an exclusive TV deal !
NOT a conference deal, but a specific, dedicated TV deal !
I already explained the reasons for not joining, but you haven’t explained how joining a conference benefits ND in its quest for a NC.
I know that you‘re not an alum !
presently, joining a conference provides no tangible benefit to ND
Well right now you are annually committed to five ACC games plus Navy and USC. That is seven games. If you joined the BIG you would be committed to nine games (eight conference, which would include USC). If Nd joins indications are Standford would be invited also.
In any even the BIG would allow you to play coast to coast within the league and reduce your freedom to choose by two games from five to three.
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Nebraska and Penn St. joined the Big 10. They have not benefitted from it. Don't know if you guys and UCLA will meet the same fate.
USC doesn’t count as an outsider since they’ll be a BIG team
That leaves out playing Texas, Oklahoma, LSU, Miami, Florida State, Washington and many others.
it’s interesting to see that Non-ND grads seem to favor ND joining a conference.
NO ND grads that I’ve talked to favor ND joining a conference, although I know that the BIG wants ND.
UCLA is not a done deal in the BIG ….. YET
That was my point SC would become a conference opponent basically freeing up an annual game. Instead of playing five AC games you would play eight BIg conference game but only seven would impact your ability to schedule since SC would be one of them. So, the difference would be two less open games a year.
UCLA joining or not joining has no impact on these points.
That leaves out playing Texas, Oklahoma, LSU, Miami, Florida State, Washington and many others.
It doesn't leave out anyone. Instead of picking five opponents of choice you would pick three. That is the only difference. I am not arguing that Nd should or should not join a conference, only that the free choice difference would be two games per year.
MF has proven you can recruit good enough to contend without a conference.
All the MORONS screaming about joining a conference really are pathetic.
OUR PROBLEM is a lousy AD who cannot pick the right HC. HE needs to go first.
All the MORONS screaming about joining a conference really are pathetic.
OUR PROBLEM is a lousy AD who cannot pick the right HC. HE needs to go first.
Based on current recruiting, this is not true.
Marcus Freeman May not win at USC in late November; however, Freeman is out recruiting NIL friendly USC and Lincoln Riley.
How is Freeman doing that? I have no idea.
The whole discussion is in the context of winning a national championship; if you don't get that and you're happy just winning games, then we have no discussion, and you're being disingenous.
The TV contact dollars from being in a conference is almost on par with our exclusive deal, depending on the conference. If it's just about money, then we can end the discussion. One of the goals of that exclusive TV deal was national exposure which at one time helped recruiting. Not so much anymore, given the anemic number of 5* players that we get. The conference exposure is much greater. All the top schools, the contending schools, in every conference get more 5* recruits then we do.
All contending teams recruit nationally, and our independence does not help in that regard. Again just look at the star ratings of the recruits. It use to be that we got the 5* athletes, but no more.
Joining a conference gives our kids a chance to play for first a conference championship, a conference championship game, and then a national title, instead of having a season over by week 2, and as I said with the continued changing of the CFB landscape, it's inevitable.
You seemed obsessed with whether I'm an Alum or not. Whether I, or you for that matter, are alums or not is irrelevant to the discussion. Because by bringing that into the discussion is to say things shouldn't evolve because some grey beards want to hold onto the past. That is flat ridiculous. It should be about the current players, playing in the current landscape of college football, and the current coaches recruiting in that environment. Without recruiting at a level of AL, UGA, USC, MI etc., we are fooling ourselves it is the only way ND will ever actually compete for a national championship.
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all of these points had value at one point but have diminished over time. National footprint would remain even if a member of a conference. The National footprint remains relevant because of the schools ties with Catholicism and that’s not going away. Recruiting? What’s your point? We’ll still recruit nationally just like every other top ten school. Having nbc deal 20 years ago was a big deal but not now when every conference has their own cable deal . You can watch your favorite team every week. Uniqueness? Only to the nd fan base. Every school preaches their own individual culture and every school has their sales pitch. Most of its bullshit but it’s part of the recruiting pitch. For us it’s all about 40 not 4 and it resonates , wether real or not. I’ve yet to hear a recruit or a recruits parents say give me a list of every commit you’ve had over the last 30 years and what he’s doing today. That would be an interesting exercise for every school. Tradition? the average kid today doesn’t give a sht about a slow little white guy named Rudy or 4 little men sitting on horses. ND grads have a different perspective? On what? And you‘re completely delusional if you think football players are at nd because of their academic achievements—- that’s why we have film and tv . We just aren’t that much different then other elite programs at this point. Time to join a conference so an early season loss or two doesn’t completely end your season.
I am not clear on why some think joining a conference would hurt recruiting. It certainly hasn’t at Alabama, Ohio state etc. can someone explain it? If you joined the BIG you would have conference games from Coast to coast and three free choice games.
Has Freemen brought in a recruiting class? If so, could you point out where and when?
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