Over the past few years

[Izo]

There has been back and forth posts about joining the ACC conference in football .Most Domers wanted to remain independent .But some others point to an advantage of conference affiliation.One reason being that winning a conference championship gives ND a better chance at a Final 4 berth than having a maverick status .

There are college coaches who want to expand because they believe that conference champions should be included .Big 12 champion being left out last year . Do you think the committee will expand to 8 teams in the near future ? if so, does that help Notre Dame in keeping its' independent status ?

 

[twalsh]

There has been back and forth posts about joining the ACC conference in football .Most Domers wanted to remain independent .But some others point to an advantage of conference affiliation.One reason being that winning a conference championship gives ND a better chance at a Final 4 berth than having a maverick status .

There are college coaches who want to expand because they believe that conference champions should be included .Big 12 champion being left out last year . Do you think the committee will expand to 8 teams in the near future ? if so, does that help Notre Dame in keeping its' independent status ?

I've grown over the years to be somewhat ambivalent about independence and conference affiliation. Both have their positives and negatives. One definite positive with being in a conference is that your season isn't effectively over if you are 2-2 on October 1st. With a national championship or bust scenario, it basically is over and you have two months of playing out the string. Having a division championship to play for, the possibility of getting into a CCG, etc wouldn't be so bad in those circumstances. As to your question, if an 8 team playoff is structured the way most people expect it to be, with 5 auto bids to the P5 conference champions and three at large bids, my guess is that gives ND LESS incentive to give up independence. But there are arguments both ways.

 

[Irish Grandeur]

I have been in both camps over the last 10-15 years. However, what Swarbrick and Kelly have done for ND football is revitalizing the indie status. ND's brand is far and away better as an independent than conference affiliation, IMO. That said, as an independent ND will always be looking over their shoulder on championship weekend.

 

[cgvr]

There has been back and forth posts about joining the ACC conference in football .Most Domers wanted to remain independent .But some others point to an advantage of conference affiliation.One reason being that winning a conference championship gives ND a better chance at a Final 4 berth than having a maverick status .

There are college coaches who want to expand because they believe that conference champions should be included .Big 12 champion being left out last year . Do you think the committee will expand to 8 teams in the near future ? if so, does that help Notre Dame in keeping its' independent status ?

The college football playoff selection committee was very fair/gracious towards us this year. They surprisingly opened us up 3-4 spots higher than the other rankings at #5. The following 2 weeks they moved us to 4. Our on field performances justified their dropping us. I was hoping we'd hold steady, but we were demonstrating sloppy football.... Had we held form we'd be in. We didn't.

One question is, using this year as an example, would an undefeated ACC team and a 1 loss ND team from the same conference get in?

imo I'm guessing no. So, being semi independent may have helped us this year had we held form....

 

[88ND]

Not no, but hell no.

ND cherishes its independence and rightfully so. They've earned the right to be bigger than a conference...it's own brand.

No other college could do that. Zero. If Alabama resigned from the SEC tomorrow it wouldn't take very long before Alabama became ho hum.

It's incredible how the universities have flipped flopped, turned upside down cart wheels to get out of one conference to join another......
Then the media embraces it coming up with "Power 5" expression. WTFE.
They act like well if you aren't in a power conference how can you even compete. Blah blah....
Yet Notre Dame has remained unscathed and steadfast with sitting perfectly content being independent.

They are able to pull it off because of the brand that so many before had earned.

 

[Izo]

Is an elite 8 playoff in the near future . Would in my opinion help ND 's independent status.

 

[perseverare]

four is flawed; eight is enough

 

[twalsh]

four is flawed; eight is enough

Aha!! Perse is actually Dick Van Patten.

 

[Izo]

Haven't watched "Eight Is Enough" in years . Don't even know if this show is on tha classic TV networks .