Notre Dame football: Big 10 or Bust?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Notre Dame
122

The SEC payout is expected to rise to $64 million to $70 million per team after the addition of Texas & Oklahoma.

The current payout per team in the Big Ten is about $55 million–which is the highest payout in college athletics.

If the Big Ten & the Pac 12 merge or if the Big Ten adds just Notre Dame & USC, the payout figure per team per year could be in the $90 million to $100 million range. In any event, it will almost certainly exceed $70 million per year per team. (All figures are in US $dolllars.)

123

I know the name West Virginia has been bandied about in some areas of the Internet, but I agree with Publisher and think they’d be near dead last of any B1G list of possible additions.

Their (WVU) basketball program, IMO, is far better program than their football program, but they’re not Kansas, so that’s not going to move the meter in the positive direction for WVU either.

I also can’t imagine the B1G poaching teams from the Pac 12 with their long history of working together and “friendship.” I could see a scheduling alliance of some sort, as I think I mentioned up thread.

As for Colorado, the money is way better in B1G, but I get the feeling that they see themselves more of Western US university, not a Midwest team, culturally per se. I think Boulder thinks of themselves as the Berkeley of that part of the country, at least back in the Big 8 days.

124

Would this be the same Denver Post writer who wrote a very nice article about a high school football player heading to Dartmouth on a full ACADEMIC scholarship? Or one going to Princeton with a nice merit package? (I sent him emails, but got no response).

Denver Post sports writers write about the Broncos, a little about the Rockies, and that’s it. Most of the sports page comes off wire services, and we get scores only if the game ends before 7 pm Mtn time.

125

From a geographic standpoint, the best option for the Big Ten might be to unite with the ACC.

Currently,the Big Ten has 14 football teams,while the ACC has 13 football teams plus Notre Dame as a half-member.

5 of the ACC teams are also AAU (Association of American Universities) members. The 5 are Ga.Tech, Duke, UNC, Pitt, & Virginia. If these 5 schools joined the Big Ten, then Notre Dame might also join thereby enlarging the Big Ten to 20 teams.

FSU, Univ. of Miami, & Clemson might join the SEC. The remaining ACC schools are Virginia Tech, Boston College, NC State, Wake Forest University,and Louisville.

This would leave the Pac 12 to work out a deal with some or all remaining Big 12 schools.

126

Big Ten – Pac 12 deal being led by USC ?

Over the recent past few years, USC has been open about its desire for change & its dissatisfaction with the Pac 12 and concern about the effect of being in the Pacific time zone regarding national exposure.

Various sports outlets state that USC has explored joining the Big Ten in the past, but only if UCLA came as well. Now the rumors are that USC will move if at least one other Pac 12 team comes along.

Pac 12 TV & media rights contract is with Fox as is the Big Ten TV & media rights deal. Both Big Ten & Pac 12 deals with Fox are coming up for renewal. Big Ten expects substantial increase in revenue from the new TV & media rights contract.

RUMOR is that Big Ten wants guarantees from Fox regarding new TV / media rights contract money before adding Pac 12 teams. ($70 million to $100 million per team possibility = rumor. Current payout = $54.3 million per team from multiple sources of revenue.) Big Ten has requested that Fox model different possibilities of–for example–just adding USC & Colorado up to adding all 9 of Pac 12 AAU member schools (Univ. of Washington, Univ. of Oregon, Stanford, Berkeley, USC, UCLA, Univ. of Arizona, Univ. of Colorado, & Univ. of Utah). This is unsubstantiated rumor, but makes sense to many. (Wash State Univ, ASU, & Oregon State are not AAU member schools so may not be under serious consideration.)

Nebraska is only current Big Ten member that is not AAU member as it lost membership due to university hospital moving off-campus. Nebraska is pursuing recertification from AAU. Nebraska was a member of AAU when it joined Big Ten.

USC & the Los Angeles TV & media market is the big prize for the Big Ten. Would make the Big Ten a coast-to-coast conference since Big Ten member schools include Rutgers & Maryland which bring major media markets of NYC, Wash DC, Baltimore, & surrounding areas.

Guess at most likely = USC & Colorado to Big Ten.

Most optimal arrangement = all 9 Pac 12 AAU schools join Big Ten as this would add multiple media markets to Big Ten (Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, Salt Lake City, & entire West Coast.) Annual Rose Bowl game is a joint effort between Pac 12 & Big Ten conferences. All concerned want to preserve the annual Rose Bowl college football game.

Current annual payout to each Pac 12 member school is about $33 million which is $21 million lower than $54.3 million payout to Big Ten schools. Big Ten payout is considered to be a bargain for Fox in the current market. This means that schools such as Indiana & Illinois are making substantially more than USC & other Pac 12 member schools.

Potential payout gain to Pac 12 schools that move to Big Ten could be double to triple current payout in Pac 12 ($66 million to $99 million per school.)

Maybe Notre Dame outsmarted itself with current ACC deal which runs through 2036 - 2037.

127

Here’s my “most likely” additions to the B1G:

The best Pac-12 football programs with the most money are USC and Oregon. They recruit the best and have the most financial backing. The rest of the Pac-12 ranges from mostly inconsequential to completely inconsequential. :laughing:

Then the B1G pivots and adds ND and BC. You need a B1G team in MA. There. Done.

And here’s my dark horse university to be added to the B1G. The UChicago Maroons to the B1G. You heard it first. :joy: (I’d love to add their voluble verbose verbiage to the discussion)

128

The University of Chicago is the only school which left the Big Ten. Joined as a charter member in 1896 & left in 1946. (It is our loss, but, as painful as it may be,we have learned to live with it.)

The University of Washington, Stanford University,and UCal- Berkeley are all interesting matches for the Big Ten athletically,academically,and with respect to funded research. Also, all add significant media markets as does the University of Colorado.

Agree that Oregon & USC are definitely among the most attractive Pac 12 schools regarding athletics. Nike has a lot of influence.

Best would be for all 9 AAU member Pac 12 schools to merge with Big Ten. This would preserve the Rose Bowl.

ASU has attractive aspects including Phoenix media market,although not an AAU member. Unfortunately, WSU & OSU may not make it without applying effective & intense pressure.

Notre Dame & Boston College are interesting for their media markets. Notre Dame is the most highly coveted single team in the country, but may be better served by the ACC.

129

Because the goal of elite football programs is to get into the payoffs (interesting typo) for the national championship, Notre Dame’s interests are best served by pursuing the path most likely to lead to a playoff berth.

Notre Dame’s best chance for a CFP playoff berth are in the ACC if ND decides to join a conference as a full football member.

The move by Texas into the SEC may harm the Longhorns’ chances for a berth in the CFP playoffs due to the intense competition within the SEC. Remember, Texas could not even win the Big 12 conference championship.

If the Pac 12 & the Big Ten merge, I favor Notre Dame remaining as an independent for football as both Notre Dame and the combined Big Ten/Pac 12 would benefit from continuing rivalry games.

130

“Oh, hello, Big Ten.”

LA Times article just released:

A scheduling alliance between the Big Ten and the Pac 12 “…would create a bidding frenzy from the TV networks and infuse each league with riches.”

131

You have the years right but the order wrong, it was Purdue’s president who called the meeting with six others (Illinois, Mich, UW, UChicago as mentioned above, NU, Minnesota). Then Iowa and Indiana came, followed by OSU, then MSU replaced UChicago. PSU came in 1993 I think.

Pretty shocking if they came back to the big-10.

132

ND has been in two of the last three playoffs. They are the only crown jewel that is not firmly affiliated with a conference. The B1G and ACC would move mountains to make room for ND at any time.

133

“Yes, you in the back, with the BYU sweatshirt, wildly raising your hand.” :grinning:

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134

I think that you are right to an extent.

As a single school, Notre Dame is the most prized for the Big Ten. But, everything is relative to which other schools are available. And every school has a price, and the cost to get Notre Dame may be too high due to the exit fees that Notre Dame would incur to leave its current agreement with the ACC which is speculated to be above $100 million up to $150 million. It is unlikely that the Big Ten would pay any significant part of those exit fees.

However, my best guess is that the Big Ten would go so far as to make Notre Dame an immediate full member entitled to a full distribution from year one in the Big Ten while also permitting Notre Dame to honor its 5 game per year commitment to the ACC through, possibly, 2037.

If the Big Ten were to get Notre Dame, then adding just one other team to get to 16 teams would work. Ideally that other team would be USC, but I think that the University of Pittsburgh would also work.

@sushiritto offered an interesting suggestion of adding Notre Dame and Boston College. While neither are AAU members, both offer superb academics although not research powerhouses. BC would attract the Boston media market while Notre Dame is a national attraction.

The ACC has already “moved mountains” and “made room for” Notre Dame. Notre Dame is a full member of the ACC for all sports except ice hockey (Big Ten member) and football in which it is a partial member with a 5 game commitment per year. However, would the Big Ten allow Notre Dame to qualify for the national championship series (CFP --college football playoffs) through either conference through 2037 ?

Returning to the Big Ten and Notre Dame. The Big Ten conference would settle for adding just 2 schools if one were Notre Dame,in my opinion. The additional school could be USC, Pitt, Georgia Tech, the University of Colorado,Virginia, UNC, Stanford, Vanderbilt, Duke, possibly Boston College, Kansas, maybe Missouri, Texas, or,especially, Texas A&M.

It is important to understand the stature of Ohio State and the University of Michigan within the Big Ten. Nothing will happen and no concessions will be made without the full approval of Ohio State University and of the University of Michigan. Notre Dame will not even get an immediate full share without the blessing of Ohio State and Michigan.

135

Last night I had a dream. It was a bit frustrating, however.

Oprah was on stage, standing up, excitedly moving around and pointing her finger at one audience member after another shouting: “You get $100 million,and you get $100 million, and you get $100 million,…” and she continued for well over 14 times.

The frustrating part was that I lost count after 14 times & I couldn’t see beyond the current members of the Big Ten who else was in the audience.

P.S. Oprah sure did look Foxy.

136

Ready to watch ND games on Peacock?

137

If the B1G took UVa and GaTech, it could force ND to go hmm.

I believe the ACC Grant of Rights is pretty tight until 2035, much unlike what the Big 12 had in place. Maybe the Pac 12’s current agreement is closer to the Big 12’s than the ACC’s.

138

You are correct. The Pac 12 TV media rights agreement with Fox expires in 2025–just a year or two after the Big Ten’s agreement with Fox expires.

Because both are with Fox and since both are coming up for renegotiation soon, the Big Ten has requested multiple financial models from Fox depending upon which team or teams are added to the Big Ten.

The Big Ten wants an understanding of what Fox is prepared to offer for TV rights before targeting & negotiating with other schools.

P.S. If needed or desired, should be easy to open discussions with the ACC since the new ACC commissioner came from the Big Ten (Northwestern University). ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips was the Athletic Director at Northwestern University from 2008 - 2021.

139

The PAC 12’s contract sucks. We are stuck watching (and attending) games that start at 9 pm and end at 2 in the morning. Why? Because we have to finish watching Syracuse v Maine where one team is up 35 to 6 at half time and that can extend 5 hours. Even if our games are scheduled for 8 pm, we have to wait. Many of the games are sent to CBS2 or other cable stations.

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140

USC agrees with you as does the LA Times regarding the difficulty of national exposure for college football teams when operating in the Pacific time zone.

141

I haven’t reviewed the ND-ACC contract, but “the grant of rights” probably doesn’t survive if Clemson and FSU blow up the ACC by bolting to the SEC.

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