Notre Dame lamenting conference realignment - Hockey

[TerryD]

Notre Dame fans haven't yet realized that their arrogance and wanting to avoid the Big Ten has helped them be largely irrelevant the past 10-15 seasons. Other than a smoke and mirrors championship appearance where they were waxed, they've been a second rate program in recent seasons.

They can have their 'national' status by affiliating with the ACC... except they haven't really been national for several years. No one is beating down their door to go to Notre Dame now.

ND is doing just fine under Kelly. He is 45-20 at ND. ND's recruiting rankings are consistently in the top ten. Kelly had them 12-0 and in the championship game in 2012.

ND gave a glimpse of next year's team by beating LSU in the Music City Bowl a few weeks ago. My prediction? Probably 10-2 next season.

None of ND's recent past has anything to do with arrogance (which I don't support) or avoiding the Big Ten (which I do).

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

JeffCoxSports 2:29pm via SB Nation
Hockey East bans Notre Dame senior defenseman Robbie Russo for 2 games
http://www.sbncollegehockey.com/hoc...d-slashing-northeastern-ny-islanders-prospect

In fairness, ND did get screwed on that one, that's an absolutely ridiculous suspension.

 

[huskymedic]

In fairness, ND did get screwed on that one, that's an absolutely ridiculous suspension.

yup... wasn't the axe-chopping I expected.

 

[ThetaZoo]

None of ND's recent past has anything to do with arrogance (which I don't support) or avoiding the Big Ten (which I do).[/QUOTE]

Maybe ND hasn't been arrogant in the last couple of days but in recent years I think so. Affiliating with the Big East and then the ACC for all sports except football so they can enjoy their lucrative tv contract all for themselves isn't arrogant? If not, what is it?

 

[TerryD]

It is identity, tradition and history.

ND could make lots and lots more TV dollars by simply joining the Big Ten.

It won't, just like it won't sell naming rights to its stadium or allow advertising in there.

That is something other than arrogance.

 

[ThetaZoo]

It is identity, tradition and history.

ND could make lots and lots more TV dollars by simply joining the Big Ten.

It won't, just like it won't sell naming rights to its stadium or allow advertising in there.

That is something other than arrogance.

I'm sorry, that's arrogance.

 

[itgoeslike]

The Big Ten's "larger" paycheck is a recent phenomenon. Prior to the BTN, Michigan and Ohio State could have acted against "sharing" their larger slice of the revenue pie equally with conference mates. Alabama could have taken a bigger chunk instead of sharing equally with their conference mates. Notre Dame has a history of only looking out for itself. For years they enjoyed a de facto football "conference" with their annual rivalry games, but CR has melted away some of their schedule. If all conferences pursue a 9 game schedule, the playoff stays at four teams, and conference networks rain down mountains of cash, ND will be forced to join a conference. Even then, it's likely they will try to retain a larger slice of the pie along with exclusive benefits. Maybe it's not arrogance, but it's also neither becoming nor admirable.

 

[pj]

The Big Ten's "larger" paycheck is a recent phenomenon. Prior to the BTN, Michigan and Ohio State could have acted against "sharing" their larger slice of the revenue pie equally with conference mates. Alabama could have taken a bigger chunk instead of sharing equally with their conference mates. Notre Dame has a history of only looking out for itself. For years they enjoyed a de facto football "conference" with their annual rivalry games, but CR has melted away some of their schedule. If all conferences pursue a 9 game schedule, the playoff stays at four teams, and conference networks rain down mountains of cash, ND will be forced to join a conference. Even then, it's likely they will try to retain a larger slice of the pie along with exclusive benefits. Maybe it's not arrogance, but it's also neither becoming nor admirable.

This is why Notre Dame and Texas will end up affiliated with the ACC -- the conference that will give them a special deal.

 

[CL82]

I'm sorry, that's arrogance.

Nah, it's just opportunity. They could so they did. I'm not a huge fan of the Irish but that wasn't arrogance.

 

[FDNY99]

The Big Ten's "larger" paycheck is a recent phenomenon. Prior to the BTN, Michigan and Ohio State could have acted against "sharing" their larger slice of the revenue pie equally with conference mates. Alabama could have taken a bigger chunk instead of sharing equally with their conference mates. Notre Dame has a history of only looking out for itself. For years they enjoyed a de facto football "conference" with their annual rivalry games, but CR has melted away some of their schedule. If all conferences pursue a 9 game schedule, the playoff stays at four teams, and conference networks rain down mountains of cash, ND will be forced to join a conference. Even then, it's likely they will try to retain a larger slice of the pie along with exclusive benefits. Maybe it's not arrogance, but it's also neither becoming nor admirable.

Very good points...and that will be accelerated when (notice I said when NOT if...because it will happen) a 11-1 ND team gets bounced out of the playoff by a 11-2 conference winning championship team. When that happens Jack Swarbick is going to have to go to his BIG $ boosters and unfortunately tell them that unless they join a conference this is the reality they have to live with.

 

[HoopsFan21]

Notre Dame fans haven't yet realized that their arrogance and wanting to avoid the Big Ten has helped them be largely irrelevant the past 10-15 seasons. Other than a smoke and mirrors championship appearance where they were waxed, they've been a second rate program in recent seasons.

They can have their 'national' status by affiliating with the ACC... except they haven't really been national for several years. No one is beating down their door to go to Notre Dame now.

The reason ND lost that game to Alabama was because their players were too busy making up fake girlfriends over twitter. Man did ND get curb stomped in that game. Lacy was like a Mack truck that night.

 

[TerryD]

The reason ND lost that game to Alabama was because their players were too busy making up fake girlfriends over twitter. Man did ND get curb stomped in that game. Lacy was like a Mack truck that night.

Quite true. That Alabama team shut out LSU and beat them by 21 points in the title game the year before.

LSU never crossed mid- field.

I wonder what their excuse was.

Those Alabama teams were more like pro than college teams. It is my opinion that Alabama would have kicked anyone's ass that night.

I would rather make the championship game than not, even with a curb stomping.

It didn't much diminish the fun of a 12-0 regular season, at least for me.

 

[TerryD]

Very good points...and that will be accelerated when (notice I said when NOT if...because it will happen) a 11-1 ND team gets bounced out of the playoff by a 11-2 conference winning championship team. When that happens Jack Swarbick is going to have to go to his BIG $ boosters and unfortunately tell them that unless they join a conference this is the reality they have to live with.

Then ND will just have to live with that reality occasionally. It would be part of the price to pay to remain out of the clutches of a conference.

That scenario you describe will only come into play occasionally.

Independence is all the time, 24/7.

 

[FDNY99]

Then ND will just have to live with that reality occasionally. It would be part of the price to pay to remain out of the clutches of a conference.

That scenario you describe will only come into play occasionally.

Independence is all the time, 24/7.

Then I hope ND fans keep that in mind Terry...because the ones that know will be crying their eyes out complaining how bad ND got duck*ED by being left out.

 

[TerryD]

The Big Ten's "larger" paycheck is a recent phenomenon. Prior to the BTN, Michigan and Ohio State could have acted against "sharing" their larger slice of the revenue pie equally with conference mates. Alabama could have taken a bigger chunk instead of sharing equally with their conference mates. Notre Dame has a history of only looking out for itself. For years they enjoyed a de facto football "conference" with their annual rivalry games, but CR has melted away some of their schedule. If all conferences pursue a 9 game schedule, the playoff stays at four teams, and conference networks rain down mountains of cash, ND will be forced to join a conference. Even then, it's likely they will try to retain a larger slice of the pie along with exclusive benefits. Maybe it's not arrogance, but it's also neither becoming nor admirable.

Those schools have been in football conferences for decades.

ND has been s football independent for the entire 127 years of it's existence.

Big difference indentity, mindset and tradition.

As an independent, ND has always had to look out for its own best interests.

It was on its own, "Us vs. everyone else".

For an independent, small Catholic school without allies (except Navy in WW2), it has done pretty well on its own.

 

[TerryD]

Then I hope ND fans keep that in mind Terry...because the ones that know will be crying their eyes out complaining how bad ND got duck*ED by being left out.

I won't be one of them.

 

[itgoeslike]

Those schools have been in football conferences for decades.

ND has been s football independent for the entire 127 years of it's existence.

Big difference indentity, mindset and tradition.

As an independent, ND has always had to look out for its own best interests.

It was on its own, "Us vs. everyone else".

For an independent, small Catholic school without allies (except Navy in WW2), it has done pretty well on its own.

There were quite a few independents 25 years ago, but very few remain. Navy has been an independent for 100 years and that's coming to a close. P5 autonomy will make it more and more difficult on any remaining independents. Notre Dame's independent identity is really limited to football, whereas their olympic sports are very much dependent on conference affiliation. When you examine ND's conference relationships, you see a school that demands "special" treatment and exclusive benefits—from zero exit fees and no waiting periods, to exclusive TV arrangements in Hockey East, to secret revenue schemes in the ACC. They prey on the weakest conference, one that can be easily leveraged. This is the identity that limits ND's pool of allies (not something that happened 80 years ago). There could come a day when the remaining conferences are generating more cash, featuring better match ups, and playing for more national championships than the independent. At that point, ND may very well reap what they sow.

 

[specialisthusky]

Independence is all the time, 24/7.

Yea 24/7 except during basketball. hockey. baseball. soccer. cross country, women's bball. men's golf, women's golf, men's lacrosse, women's lacrosse, rowing, women's soccer, softball, men's swimming and diving, women's swimming and diving, men's tennis, woman's tennis, track and field, volleyball and those 4 or 5 ACC mandated football games.

 

[CONN Ed]

The typical line goes ND will not join B1G, B1G doesn't want ND. However, if this is not 100% completely true, if there have been casual conversations between the two, if this is not carved in stone, ND hockey in the B1G would be an interesting way to get people on both sides a bit more comfortable with the notion of being together, rather than separate. ND in the B1G has always made sense. Dip your toe in the water...

(a lot of if's)

 

[Hoophound]

One of the best ways to get ND into the B1G is to expand the B1G into ND's target area. I have always felt that ND would end up in the B1G and the reality is that bringing UCONN in would only help that cause.

My guess is that the B1G will add two eastern programs and then seek to add four more heavy hitter schools. ND will be one of the last two and their path will be clear. If you want to play close to home, remain a huge name in the Northeast and tap into the Mid-Atlantic/South, the B1G is the place to be.

I expect to see UCONN and a Virginia school, Texas and Oklahoma and then one more round of expansion that will include ND and another program. I believe that our failure to get into the ACC or B12 will become a blessing long term. I have my bad days, but I believe this deep down. If we could get back to winning football and basketball games my confidence would soar.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

ND will join the B1G if the ACC does not survive the eventual P5 consolidation into the P4 because no other conference makes any sense or, as always the case, joining the B1G after the XII folds whereby the additions of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and two others (hopefully one of which is UConn) provides more value to ND than staying in the ACC.

 

[CTGoonie]

Not a day goes by without ND complaining about something. Yesterday it was Hockey East today it's the FB schedule the ACC provided.
http://irish.nbcsports.com/2015/01/29/acc-scheduling-puts-irish-in-the-crosshairs/

"Three of the six opponents that face Notre Dame will be coming into their game with the Irish after an off week. That includes a November matchup against Boston College in Fenway Park and the Irish’s visit to Clemson, who will have nine days between their visit from Notre Dame and their Thursday night trip to Louisville. Wake Forest also gets an extra week to prepare for their visit to South Bend."

 

[TerryD]

ND will join the B1G if the ACC does not survive the eventual P5 consolidation into the P4 because no other conference makes any sense or, as always the case, joining the B1G after the XII folds whereby the additions of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and two others (hopefully one of which is UConn) provides more value to ND than staying in the ACC.

I doubt ND will ever join the Big Ten under just about any likely scenario.

The only one that might happen would be a Big Ten that has schools from Boston to Atlanta and on down to Miami and includes the University of Texas.

Only if that happens and there are no ACC and Big 12 conferences in existence would ND consider the Big Ten over the surviving other two conferences.

ND wants to remain part of the P5 or otherwise it would consider the Big East for its other sports and a total football independent over joining the Big Ten.

So, only by total annihilation of any other choices would ND consider the Big Ten as its last choice.

But, we all have opinions on this issue. Mine is just different than posters here.

 

[TerryD]

Not a day goes by without ND complaining about something. Yesterday it was Hockey East today it's the FB schedule the ACC provided.
http://irish.nbcsports.com/2015/01/29/acc-scheduling-puts-irish-in-the-crosshairs/

"Three of the six opponents that face Notre Dame will be coming into their game with the Irish after an off week. That includes a November matchup against Boston College in Fenway Park and the Irish’s visit to Clemson, who will have nine days between their visit from Notre Dame and their Thursday night trip to Louisville. Wake Forest also gets an extra week to prepare for their visit to South Bend."

Three of the six ACC schools that ND faces next year will have bye weeks before the ND game.

Clemson has sixteen days from its prior game to the ND game at Clemson, for instance.

That is not accidental but again that is just part of the price of being an independent. So it goes.

Nothing really to complain about. Just line up and play.

 

[CTBasketball]

I doubt ND will ever join the Big Ten under just about any likely scenario.

The only one that might happen would be a Big Ten that has schools from Boston to Atlanta and on down to Miami and includes Texas.

Only if that happens and there are no ACC and Big 12 conferences in existence would ND consider the Big Ten over the surviving other two conferences.

ND wants to remain part of the P5 or otherwise it would consider the Big East for its other sports and a total independent over joining the Big Ten.

So, only by total annihilation of any other choices would ND consider the Big Ten as its last choice.

But, we all have opinions on this issue. Mine is just different than posters here.

ND isn't going anywhere with football. And the Big Ten isn't adding one school to make it 15. That goes for UConn or ND.