Not only will it be increasingly harder for the Irish to find a way to the Plus One without an unbeaten or 1-loss season (the last one: 1993), the days of the BCS placating the Irish could be all but over.
It wasn’t long ago that the BCS agreed to give Notre Dame $1.3 million a year just for the whiff of the potential that the Irish could actually qualify for a BCS bowl. That’s right, the renegotiated BCS contract in 2005 came with a rider that gave Notre Dame money just for being Notre Dame.
Those days, everyone, are long gone.
In years past, the Notre Dame athletic director was the strongest man in the room during BCS meetings. How else do you think the university carved out such unthinkable deals that allowed the Irish to play in the Fiesta Bowl in 1994 with a 6-4-1 record? Or get millions of dollars for simply showing up?
The advent of conference realignment has changed everything. Last month in Dallas, while the 11 conference commissioners met to begin historic change, Irish athletic director Jack Swarbrick may as well have been the commissioner of the MAC.
There are two men running college football right now (SEC commissioner Mike Slive and Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany), and neither needs Notre Dame to get what they want. The thought process used to be that college football was desperate for Notre Dame’s inclusion; for that one national brand regional products could rotate around and piggyback.
Now that the sport has grown beyond a regional base, now that monster television contracts have nationally-branded every conference, there is no need for Notre Dame. It also doesn’t help that the Irish haven’t been a factor in the national title chase since 1993, have had four coaches since Lou Holtz retired in 1996, and have lost a majority of their recruiting cache.
If you think Notre Dame is an out of sight/out of mind brand now, wait until the Plus One puts more emphasis on the four teams that make the playoff—and less on everyone else. Wait until a sport currently consumed by who’s No.1—and the beautiful symphony of arguing that goes with it—devalues such an integral facet of who and what it is by rendering major bowls meaningless.
There once was a time when Notre Dame refused to play in anything but a major bowl. Last December, the Irish played in the second-best bowl in the city of Orlando.
From demanding money to be part of the BCS, to playing in something called the Champs Sports Bowl. From anything you want, to very few options.
There’s no other way to look at it: The next few BCS meetings will determine the fate of the Notre Dame football program.
If the university presidents decide to eliminate bowl qualification standards, Notre Dame will survive as an independent by playing in major bowls with eight-win seasons. And if the presidents decide to keep the standards?
There are two men running college football right now (SEC commissioner Mike Slive and Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany), and neither needs Notre Dame to get what they want.
Not only will it be increasingly harder for the Irish to find a way to the Plus One without an unbeaten or 1-loss season (the last one: 1993), the days of the BCS placating the Irish could be all but over.
It wasn’t long ago that the BCS agreed to give Notre Dame $1.3 million a year just for the whiff of the potential that the Irish could actually qualify for a BCS bowl. That’s right, the renegotiated BCS contract in 2005 came with a rider that gave Notre Dame money just for being Notre Dame.
Those days, everyone, are long gone.
In years past, the Notre Dame athletic director was the strongest man in the room during BCS meetings. How else do you think the university carved out such unthinkable deals that allowed the Irish to play in the Fiesta Bowl in 1994 with a 6-4-1 record? Or get millions of dollars for simply showing up?
The advent of conference realignment has changed everything. Last month in Dallas, while the 11 conference commissioners met to begin historic change, Irish athletic director Jack Swarbrick may as well have been the commissioner of the MAC.
There are two men running college football right now (SEC commissioner Mike Slive and Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany), and neither needs Notre Dame to get what they want. The thought process used to be that college football was desperate for Notre Dame’s inclusion; for that one national brand regional products could rotate around and piggyback.
Now that the sport has grown beyond a regional base, now that monster television contracts have nationally-branded every conference, there is no need for Notre Dame. It also doesn’t help that the Irish haven’t been a factor in the national title chase since 1993, have had four coaches since Lou Holtz retired in 1996, and have lost a majority of their recruiting cache.
If you think Notre Dame is an out of sight/out of mind brand now, wait until the Plus One puts more emphasis on the four teams that make the playoff—and less on everyone else. Wait until a sport currently consumed by who’s No.1—and the beautiful symphony of arguing that goes with it—devalues such an integral facet of who and what it is by rendering major bowls meaningless.
There once was a time when Notre Dame refused to play in anything but a major bowl. Last December, the Irish played in the second-best bowl in the city of Orlando.
From demanding money to be part of the BCS, to playing in something called the Champs Sports Bowl. From anything you want, to very few options.
There’s no other way to look at it: The next few BCS meetings will determine the fate of the Notre Dame football program.
If the university presidents decide to eliminate bowl qualification standards, Notre Dame will survive as an independent by playing in major bowls with eight-win seasons. And if the presidents decide to keep the standards?
Not only will it be increasingly harder for the Irish to find a way to the Plus One without an unbeaten or 1-loss season (the last one: 1993), the days of the BCS placating the Irish could be all but over.
It wasn’t long ago that the BCS agreed to give Notre Dame $1.3 million a year just for the whiff of the potential that the Irish could actually qualify for a BCS bowl. That’s right, the renegotiated BCS contract in 2005 came with a rider that gave Notre Dame money just for being Notre Dame.
Those days, everyone, are long gone.
In years past, the Notre Dame athletic director was the strongest man in the room during BCS meetings. How else do you think the university carved out such unthinkable deals that allowed the Irish to play in the Fiesta Bowl in 1994 with a 6-4-1 record? Or get millions of dollars for simply showing up?
The advent of conference realignment has changed everything. Last month in Dallas, while the 11 conference commissioners met to begin historic change, Irish athletic director Jack Swarbrick may as well have been the commissioner of the MAC.
There are two men running college football right now (SEC commissioner Mike Slive and Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany), and neither needs Notre Dame to get what they want. The thought process used to be that college football was desperate for Notre Dame’s inclusion; for that one national brand regional products could rotate around and piggyback.
Now that the sport has grown beyond a regional base, now that monster television contracts have nationally-branded every conference, there is no need for Notre Dame. It also doesn’t help that the Irish haven’t been a factor in the national title chase since 1993, have had four coaches since Lou Holtz retired in 1996, and have lost a majority of their recruiting cache.
If you think Notre Dame is an out of sight/out of mind brand now, wait until the Plus One puts more emphasis on the four teams that make the playoff—and less on everyone else. Wait until a sport currently consumed by who’s No.1—and the beautiful symphony of arguing that goes with it—devalues such an integral facet of who and what it is by rendering major bowls meaningless.
There once was a time when Notre Dame refused to play in anything but a major bowl. Last December, the Irish played in the second-best bowl in the city of Orlando.
From demanding money to be part of the BCS, to playing in something called the Champs Sports Bowl. From anything you want, to very few options.
There’s no other way to look at it: The next few BCS meetings will determine the fate of the Notre Dame football program.
If the university presidents decide to eliminate bowl qualification standards, Notre Dame will survive as an independent by playing in major bowls with eight-win seasons. And if the presidents decide to keep the standards?
Of course! They've been number one on the list for decades now. It doesn't matter how much they suck, what matters is how ND is perceived as being the default school to root for for millions of Catholics.
Not only will it be increasingly harder for the Irish to find a way to the Plus One without an unbeaten or 1-loss season (the last one: 1993), the days of the BCS placating the Irish could be all but over.
It wasn’t long ago that the BCS agreed to give Notre Dame $1.3 million a year just for the whiff of the potential that the Irish could actually qualify for a BCS bowl. That’s right, the renegotiated BCS contract in 2005 came with a rider that gave Notre Dame money just for being Notre Dame.
Those days, everyone, are long gone.
In years past, the Notre Dame athletic director was the strongest man in the room during BCS meetings. How else do you think the university carved out such unthinkable deals that allowed the Irish to play in the Fiesta Bowl in 1994 with a 6-4-1 record? Or get millions of dollars for simply showing up?
The advent of conference realignment has changed everything. Last month in Dallas, while the 11 conference commissioners met to begin historic change, Irish athletic director Jack Swarbrick may as well have been the commissioner of the MAC.
There are two men running college football right now (SEC commissioner Mike Slive and Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany), and neither needs Notre Dame to get what they want. The thought process used to be that college football was desperate for Notre Dame’s inclusion; for that one national brand regional products could rotate around and piggyback.
Now that the sport has grown beyond a regional base, now that monster television contracts have nationally-branded every conference, there is no need for Notre Dame. It also doesn’t help that the Irish haven’t been a factor in the national title chase since 1993, have had four coaches since Lou Holtz retired in 1996, and have lost a majority of their recruiting cache.
If you think Notre Dame is an out of sight/out of mind brand now, wait until the Plus One puts more emphasis on the four teams that make the playoff—and less on everyone else. Wait until a sport currently consumed by who’s No.1—and the beautiful symphony of arguing that goes with it—devalues such an integral facet of who and what it is by rendering major bowls meaningless.
There once was a time when Notre Dame refused to play in anything but a major bowl. Last December, the Irish played in the second-best bowl in the city of Orlando.
From demanding money to be part of the BCS, to playing in something called the Champs Sports Bowl. From anything you want, to very few options.
There’s no other way to look at it: The next few BCS meetings will determine the fate of the Notre Dame football program.
If the university presidents decide to eliminate bowl qualification standards, Notre Dame will survive as an independent by playing in major bowls with eight-win seasons. And if the presidents decide to keep the standards?
Of course! They've been number one on the list for decades now. It doesn't matter how much they suck, what matters is how ND is perceived as being the default school to root for for millions of Catholics.
Not only will it be increasingly harder for the Irish to find a way to the Plus One without an unbeaten or 1-loss season (the last one: 1993), the days of the BCS placating the Irish could be all but over.
It wasn’t long ago that the BCS agreed to give Notre Dame $1.3 million a year just for the whiff of the potential that the Irish could actually qualify for a BCS bowl. That’s right, the renegotiated BCS contract in 2005 came with a rider that gave Notre Dame money just for being Notre Dame.
Those days, everyone, are long gone.
In years past, the Notre Dame athletic director was the strongest man in the room during BCS meetings. How else do you think the university carved out such unthinkable deals that allowed the Irish to play in the Fiesta Bowl in 1994 with a 6-4-1 record? Or get millions of dollars for simply showing up?
The advent of conference realignment has changed everything. Last month in Dallas, while the 11 conference commissioners met to begin historic change, Irish athletic director Jack Swarbrick may as well have been the commissioner of the MAC.
There are two men running college football right now (SEC commissioner Mike Slive and Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany), and neither needs Notre Dame to get what they want. The thought process used to be that college football was desperate for Notre Dame’s inclusion; for that one national brand regional products could rotate around and piggyback.
Now that the sport has grown beyond a regional base, now that monster television contracts have nationally-branded every conference, there is no need for Notre Dame. It also doesn’t help that the Irish haven’t been a factor in the national title chase since 1993, have had four coaches since Lou Holtz retired in 1996, and have lost a majority of their recruiting cache.
If you think Notre Dame is an out of sight/out of mind brand now, wait until the Plus One puts more emphasis on the four teams that make the playoff—and less on everyone else. Wait until a sport currently consumed by who’s No.1—and the beautiful symphony of arguing that goes with it—devalues such an integral facet of who and what it is by rendering major bowls meaningless.
There once was a time when Notre Dame refused to play in anything but a major bowl. Last December, the Irish played in the second-best bowl in the city of Orlando.
From demanding money to be part of the BCS, to playing in something called the Champs Sports Bowl. From anything you want, to very few options.
There’s no other way to look at it: The next few BCS meetings will determine the fate of the Notre Dame football program.
If the university presidents decide to eliminate bowl qualification standards, Notre Dame will survive as an independent by playing in major bowls with eight-win seasons. And if the presidents decide to keep the standards?
Of course! They've been number one on the list for decades now. It doesn't matter how much they suck, what matters is how ND is perceived as being the default school to root for for millions of Catholics.
When I was growing up, some time in the last centurary we didn't have organized football until the 9th grade. We played 2 hand touch where ever we could find a place to play. The parocial schools started organized football in the 6th grade. This gave them a huge advantage. It also allowed the Penguins [formally called nuns] to evaluate talent and clue catholic colleges in to some of the best players in the country. The advantage lasted probably into the 80ies when all other kids started playing football in city leagues. They started losing their advantage. The other big problem for them was/is that they set high standards for academics. They have also made some very poor choices when they needed a head coach and amazingly the guy from the Pats may have been one of the worst [Can't even think of his name.] It is quite possible that they may never be a factor again. Boston College is already replacing them as the premier catholic program in the country.
