Notre Dame Football: Remain Independent or Join the Big Ten?

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SOUTH BEND – The Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team continues to be the focus of debate in college football. The team maintains its independence to this day, remaining one of two teams to stay in the Independents conference. Why is Notre Dame so bent on remaining independent?

As many in the media have already pointed out, the most important factor is financial. Notre Dame has no interest in revenue sharing with ten or more teams. Its financial independence makes recruiting much easier, given its substantial budget. Why run the risk of not having as much revenue to work with? Of course, the school has to make a profit too, it’s but all about recruiting.

The television contract with NBC is also an important factor. The team is already facing top-tier opponents every season, like Texas A/M and the University of Southern California. Notre Dame rarely has to worry about a weak overall schedule. From Notre Dame’s point of view, there doesn’t seem to be any logic to joining a power conference like the Big Ten, even if there are little to no complications in doing so.

If Notre Dame changed its position and decides that, despite revenue sharing, there is a chance for a greater profit by joining the Big Ten, that would almost certainly be the end of the Independents. There are currently two independent teams. Is it truly worth any risk of diminished profits? What do he team and the university get in return?

Although the Big Ten is on its way to becoming the dominant brand of college football, Notre Dame has the reputation of being in the National Championship. Although the team fell short of winning against the Ohio State Buckeyes, the newly revamped College Football Playoffs almost guarantee the Fighting Irish a chance to advance annually, joining a conference as prestigious as the Big Ten would guarantee the Fighting Irish will be fully praised to face any challenge.

Television Networks such as NBC might even like the idea and seek to make minor tweaks to the current contract if it can be done without complications. The Big Ten would be the obvious fit geographically, and the proximity to Indiana University and Purdue University would make this conference the best fit outside of the Independents.

Picture this: Ohio State and Notre Dame would face off every single season. The television ratings alone would be at their highest in the regular season ever. We’re talking about he top ratings of all-time of which can be done.

However, it’s clear that Notre Dame values one thing above all: Return on investment. If there is no return on investment, then Notre Dame has no future in a power conference at all, whether it would be the Big Ten or the Big 12.

Annual games alternating between the historic yet lively venues in Columbus, Ohio, and South Bend, Indiana, would likely give these two programs and universities everything they want and more.

Perhaps, to give Notre Dame an incentive to try it, the NCAA can allow Notre Dame to do this on a trial basis and see how it goes. One or two years, I’m in the Big Ten with the option to return to its current independent status after two seasons. If that is an option, then all interested parties should pursue it as a viable option. Notre Dame should do a feasibility study on it, especially given its most successful year ever. Four Big Ten teams were in the college football playoffs, and Notre Dame defeated two of them. Ohio State and Penn State almost ended up playing against each other in a rematch before Notre Dame came back to win against the Nittany Lions. Perhaps a move to the Big Ten is inevitable? The Northeast Ohio area would certainly love it. What are your thoughts?