- Joined
- Dec 22, 2011
- Messages
- 42,864
If I were the Big Ten, I would be a hard "NO" on any formal scheduling arrangement or partial membership agreement with Notre Dame. Yes, it might make financial sense to a degree, but you have to weigh that against the toxicity that it would cause.
Look at the ACC. Part of the reason this conference is such a ****hole is because Notre Dame throws its weight around and gets its way in conference decision-making, while not really having any vested interest in whether the conference prospers or not. They call the shots and they don't suffer the consequences for anything because their bread is buttered by NBC.
It's a toxic arrangement and frankly, the Big Ten doesn't need it. I would tell them you can join the conference as a full member any time, but we're not interested in partial memberships at any level. You're in or out, we're good either way.
Not to argue "pro" or "con", but the reason I believe the Big 10 would "accept" a scheduling arrangement with ND is because there are fewer and fewer conferences, and it would give them "the inside track" on getting ND to join if/when the future changes enough to necessitate ND to join a conference.
Having said that, I find it hard to believe that ND would ever join the SEC.
But I still think that the Big 10 wants to signal its intent to ND about "whenever you guys are ready, we're here for you".
Also, ND is the ONLY remaining available school that will NEVER be dilutive. I don't care if the Big 10 had 32 members, they would definitely benefit by making ND the 33rd member.