So I am the wrong Domer to get on this one. I know I have given this run down before. But since this is kind of a big thing right now. Here is the honesty of it from "Domer Land"
1. ND will never be forced to a conference for money. It is 2022. They have a student body of less than 10k students. And has a 15+ billion dollar endowment. And that is with having not win a natty in decades. Imagine if they were actually real national contenders
2. Their NBC contract the belief is right now around 15 million a year. And they don't have to share broadcasting with basically anyone. Like once a year there is a big golf or tennis something or another that is on the same Saturday. And recently ND has then pushed the broadcast to NBC streaming channel peacock. And it is heavily believed that ND gets a bigger piece of their pie in years that, that happens.
3. Their NBC contract is up in 2025. Look at it from the ND point of view. You have a fresh new HC and a ton of buzz in your program. You don't know if you have the next Charlie Weis type or the next Kirby Smart / Dabo type. But being indy and getting ready go start the negotiations for the NBC renewal with Fox just begging to steal ND away. They are going to get a big boost on the next contract. So again. Money is not going to steer the ship. ND is vastly more financially secure than almost any other P5 school in the country.
4. The ACC is a Clemson or FSU away from folding. There is no other big school to carry the flag in the conference. FSU could use money. They ain't poor. But covid was a reality shot for them. As it was for a lot of schools around the country that were operationally over leveraged and not prepared to have their stadiums closed and lose all that revenue. If ND wanted to join a conference. And I'm not being an asshole they could literally just write a contract with almost any dollar value on it. Give it to the ACC and they would say yes. It would publicly be a fight. But behind the scenes the commish would go down on Jack Swarbrick if he joined the conference full time.
5. The historical rivalries we love and the history in college football is going to die. If not in 5 years. Then within 15. You will see the conferences enmasse fold. And the NCAA go away and a new model emerge. Most likely anchored by the B1G and the SEC. ND and the B1G have had bad blood since our grandfather's fathers were kids. ND almost can't accept membership at this point. The fuel of the fan base is the hatred of that conference. I know that sounds petty. But you can ask almost any ND fan around. And they will give the same version of the answer that is. "Only if Michigan isn't there". It is petty. We don't give a fuck. And at this point. It has been such a big deal for so long. That accepting the membership to tye B1G would kill the program. Because every time ND didn't win a game or win the conference of whatever. It would be a never ending drumbeat of "you thought you were too good for a conference".
6. Lastly. If you put a gun to ND and said pick now or else. B1G or SEC. They wouldn't think for 2 seconds. It would be SEC. Better recruiting, better conference, better games. Better pay. Just better. There isn't a big time recruit in the north that ND isn't already a player for. I know it is super early and rankings don't matter. But in tye 23 and even the 24 cycle. ND is in the top 3 classes. Compare that to Michigan. After winning their conference and going to the playoff isn't in the top 25. And hasn't beaten ND for a single 23 or 24 recruit that had offers from both. Putting ND into the B1G makes them a regional school. And in 10 years they will be the next Penn St model. Of who the hell cares. Not a knock on PSU. But it is what it is.
Sorry. Sitting here bored to shit watching a movie I don't want to watch with the family. And had time to type.
