Rethinking Notre Dame's Independence

NOTRE DAME, Indiana - The aftermath of the College Football Playoff bracket selection still looms ominously above college football, especially for a university like Notre Dame. Despite being ranked ahead of Miami regardless of the head-to-head loss, and yet somehow, the Miami Hurricanes leap over Notre Dame and BYU to secure a spot at No. 10 in this season’s playoff. The selection committee has shown itself to be more consistently inconsistent with how they rank teams. However it’s not a selection committee problem, but actually an ACC problem. 

The Fighting Irish are notoriously independent in football, while being a part of the ACC in all other sports. Currently though, Notre Dame holds a scheduling agreement with the ACC, playing 5 or 6 teams in the ACC every season. Naturally, after Virginia’s disastrous loss to Duke in the ACC Conference Championship Game, the ACC would heavily push for Miami’s inclusion in the playoff, and why wouldn’t they? The issue lies with Notre Dame, who upon understanding that they weren’t a part of the CFP, declined their bowl-invite for the Pop-Tarts bowl. This is a prime example of wanting to make your cake, and eat it too. When the ACC is weaker compared to the SEC and Big Ten, Notre Dame can’t suddenly complain that they don’t have any good victories to entice the committee to select them. The Fighting Irish also showed they wanted no part in the SEC or ACC, being defeated by both Texas A&M and Miami to start the season 0-2. Notre Dame’s only impressive win this season was against USC, who’s a part of the Big Ten. See where I’m going with this? 

Established History With The Big Ten

Despite Notre Dame never officially being a part of the Big Ten, it might as well be a non-official member. Either by maintaining decades-long rivalries with core members of the Big Ten, competing for recruits and market share from fans within its geographical backyard, or even by frustrating rumors of expansion by remaining staunchly independent. It’s almost like the Big Ten spent much of the 20th century trying to suppress Notre Dame, kick them out of the clubhouse, while at the end of it potentially turning on a dime and recruiting the Irish into the Big Ten. 

Notre Dame has also played Big Ten teams extensively throughout its history. Six of Notre Dame’s top-11 most played opponents come from the Big Ten, these being: USC, Purdue, Michigan State, Northwestern, Michigan, and Indiana. Instead of continuing its scheduling agreement with the ACC, why not try the Big Ten for size? 

Better College Football Playoff Opportunity

It’s easy for Notre Dame and its fans to “write off” joining a conference, as it wouldn’t have any changes towards its playoff chances. I would argue that idea is flawed. Take the BYU and Texas Tech example for the biggest piece of evidence. BYU’s only loss of the season came from Texas Tech itself, while Tech’s only loss came at the hands of an unranked Arizona State team. Although BYU’s loss was a “better loss” to a more competitive opponent, you have to look at the head-to-heads in this situation. What’s the best way to have head-to-head games against strong competition? Well, the answer is simply joining a conference like the Big Ten. Your conference schedule allows you to schedule tough ranked teams that could elevate your university's football status. To be the best, you have to play the best, and that starts with strong scheduling.

Within the Notre Dame Fighting Irish joining the Big Ten, they would have a great path towards the CFP semifinals as a top-5 team. This doesn’t suggest that an independent Notre Dame couldn’t make it in, however the conception of a conference championship win, and thus a bye in the first round of the playoffs, should at least be considered. ND as an independent almost always has to play in the first round, therefore making it much harder to win the National Championship. Would Notre Dame have made the CFP, with the same record but in the Big Ten and against conference play? I would think so. 

Notre Dame Negative Relations With ACC

Perhaps a not-so-subtle jab towards Notre Dame, the ACC Network replayed the Miami win over Notre Dame 13 times over the past week. In direct response, the ACC considers that while they appreciate Notre Dame as a semi-conference member for football, they must look out for their 17 home institutions. In response, Athletic Director from Notre Dame Pete Bevacqua said, “We were mystified by the actions of the conference. They have certainly done permanent damage to the relationship between the ACC and Notre Dame.”

Even though the ACC has been tough on Notre Dame, the Big Ten hasn’t been much better. Notre Dame had been denied from the Big Ten for multiple reasons, such as in 1909 when Notre Dame was denied membership, in part due to anti-catholic bias which was prevalent in the United States at this particular time. Despite being denied membership, they retained their independent identity, scheduling powerhouse teams like Army on the east coast, and USC on the west coast. This was also pre-flight as they began this scheduling in 1918! In theory, the Big Ten wouldn’t succeed in coercing ND by threatening to stop playing them in Football. Notre Dame would continue to live on regardless. 

At the end of the day, we can argue that Notre Dame essentially missed out on playoffs this year due to the fact that they are not in a conference. Obviously that is not what the CFP committee will say, but in hindsight had Notre Dame been in the ACC or Big 10, we’d almost certainly see them in the playoffs this year. It begs the question… is it time for Notre Dame to officially join a conference? 

In this case, I’d say yes. With how the selection went this year, Notre Dame should be knocking on the ACC or Big 10’s door instantly. They should join a conference and establish themselves within a conference with their same program values. 

Joining a conference changes nothing for them, they will still face many great teams, they will still have all their funding, but now they just get to compete in a conference championship game. Rather than playing some good teams, and then filling in the rest of their schedule with literally anyone they want. 

If the Irish decide to stay independent for football, it will only harm them. They will continue to have that asterisk over their name every championship Saturday while they sit at home not having to play a conference championship game because they already crowned themselves victorious because they don’t have to play anyone! When you play by your own rules (getting to schedule whoever you want), no wonder other teams and AD’s nationwide are not pleased with Notre Dame. 

If I were the AD of Notre Dame and we had got left out of the College Football Playoffs, I would’ve been on the phone with the heads of the ACC and Big 10 that very night. 

Notre Dame, it is time to join a conference.