I didn't answer because I thought it was not a real question but an snark attempt to just bash ND.
ND's other sports are not ND football and do not have the history of overcoming the Michigan/Big Ten attempt to boycott/quash the program, having to barnstorm across the country and acquiring fans all over the USA.
ND people care a whole hell of a lot less for the other sports than for football. Basketball at ND comes in a very distant second place, miles behind ND football.
Basketball to some ND fans is just something between the end of football season and beginning of football season.
Lots (not all, but some) of non-alumni ND football fans are fans of Indiana, Purdue, BC, etc. basketball, historically. Irritated Hoosier and Boilermaker fans call such local ND football only fans as "reversible jacket" fans.
ND basketball was an independent from the 1896 until 1995, when it was no longer feasible and was no longer in ND's best interests for basketball to remain an independent.
I miss those days. My favorite days of ND basketball were the 1970's when it was independent and played national games on NBC (Dick Enberg, Al McGuire and Billy Packer) against UCLA, Marquette, DePaul, Kentucky and Louisville, among others.
More is the pity basketball is no longer independent. I wish it were so.
In conclusion, football matters much more. It has the clout. Basketball doesn't.
Football has different history and has built up fans all over the country.
Apples and oranges.
ND believes that an independent football platform is the best vehicle to recruit athletes and the general student body and the best way to promote the program and the school nationally.
Football generates lots of money.
Football is independent because it can.
What "sanctity"?
Conference realignment is nothing but a gigantic money grab by, well, everyone.
Staying independent makes business sense to ND. I have said that often.
Its in ND's best interests, it believes, to remain that way.
Football independence is ND's brand and the "front porch" to enhance that brand, publicize the school, recruit players, recruit general students and prosper overall.
Amen and Amen. Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto.
You guys want ND to throw away that brand so that Syracuse and other ACC schools can get a pay raise due to ND joining.
That is no strong morality play by the ACC, just business.
(The bad ACC payout is not ND's doing, but is wholly self inflicted by the ACC.)
ND doesn't want to so here we are.
I appreciate your reply.
I find it interesting, and somewhat remarkable that the specific Michigan/Big Ten occurrence dating back to the turn of the 20th century can still carry any true significance today. Two World Wars occurred after such a time. I mean, if the United States and Japan can today be allies after what transpired in their history, etc., it’s really quite foolish that something so trivial as being blackballed in playing a game against each other by UM/the Western Conference/B1G isn’t water under the bridge at this point. If the weight of those hurt ‘
feelings’ from over a century ago were still honestly relevant today, ND would simply choose not to play Michigan, or any of those other B1G teams that “wronged” them so back in the day, at least not during the regular season where they control the scheduling.
Pride is the original of the seven deadly sins, and also labelled the ‘father’ of all sins.
As you mentioned, ND was independent in basketball dating back to 1896, similar to the same time frame of its football independence. There were many independent schools at one time, it wasn’t a unique thing at all, and either was ND in that regard. However, as the football landscape began to change, where conferences started to expand, etc., it became rather apparent that one needed a seat at the table to maintain their status quo level. As phases of expansion continued, and these television contracts became far more lucrative, it became even more critical of inclusion, or risk falling into the abyss. Especially, if you are a relatively small private school (such as SU) that plays the college game at the highest level. However, even with the good fortune of inclusion, reaping the benefits of those TV contracts, etc., small P5 privates (which have much smaller alumni bases, revenue streams, etc.) more than ever have significant disadvantages in comparison to its member affiliated state flagship school types.
Notre Dame is the exception to that standard. Why, especially as a small private Catholic school? What separates Notre Dame from its other P5 level playing privates? Follow the money back to 1991 and prior to the expansion/realignment conference craze. That’s when ND inked its first exclusive deal with NBC; 38 million for 5 years. It’s this exclusive TV rights deal that separates ND from their other P5 level privates. That is the sole luxury that today affords their football “independence” moniker, enabling them to pitch, publicize, recruit players, etc. Call it ND’s brand, “front porch” or whatever you wish, but make no mistake, independence is only because of its exclusive TV deal. If that exclusive TV football deal didn’t exist, or ceases to exist in the future, ND the institution, wouldn’t care a wink about that denomination it claims is so important. It’s merely a masquerade, proven by the fact that all of its other sports teams with the university’s same name written across it is in conferences.
As you mentioned, “football generates lots of money” and “football is independent because it can.” Those words are unequivocally true. And, because of same, ND can play the game it does, that being, a halfway, one foot in one foot out partner of any enabling conference that bites, fueled by the aforementioned NBC exclusive contract. If not for that, ND undoubtedly would be in a conference as a
full time member, again, just as its other sports teams.
That’s where the
apples to oranges true difference is. The sole/dedicated lucrative revenue stream that fronts the alleged importance of football independence. And, with same, enabling ND to keep its status quo, which provides them relative noteworthiness in the football landscape, an illusion and mystique of being more significant than what they truly are today. Which is (if a full time football conference member) a good/very good member, but nothing exceptional, and one that hasn’t really challenged, let alone won a national championship in decades.
Ultimately, as long as Notre Dame is granted the luxury that an exclusive television contract provides, I completely agree with you that ‘independence’ makes good business sense relative to ND’s own self interests. Notre Dame doesn’t need the “money grab” that full conference affiliation affords because they can keep their own
money grab 100% to themselves. That’s what I am referring to in regards to sanctity. It’s not independence in and of itself that is of true importance/value that ND portrays, but rather, moreover, the fact that there’s an enabling entity that provides them with all that exclusive coin, without having to share a dime with anyone. else.
Honestly, it’s not about ND joining the ACC so that Syracuse and the like can get more money. I couldn’t care less about Notre Dame, or whatever its fans, alumni of, etc. believe that their brand allegedly portrays. It’s a small private religious/Catholic niche type school in our present day culture. I simply despise the fact that they’re able to rather incredulously latch on and find a very convenient and comfortable conference home for all of its other sports teams, and not sacrifice a thing in return, actually benefit. The best of both worlds is what irks me most and our conference enabling leadership licensing them to get away with it.
