Notre Dame cancels Michigan contract...

[arbitragegls]

...definitely appears that Notre Dame is going to stick to its contractual obligations with the ACC. Last Saturday just before game time it cancelled its 2015-2017 games with Michigan. The contract with Michigan called for a 3 year notice of cancellation so that no penalty would be involved:


"While this move is a necessary precaution as we begin the process of meeting our new scheduling commitment to the ACC," Swarbrick wrote in his letter to Brandon, "please know that Notre Dame very much values its relationship with Michigan. (We) look forward to working with you to ensure that our great football rivalry can continue."

I believe that Notre Dame will follow through on all ACC obligations, unlike what they did with the BE, and that, according to my source, may actually play more than 5 games against the ACC in some years...in order to either keep rivalries going with BC, Pitt and/or keep games already scheduled with some ACC teams.

 

[OrangeFoo]

Really sad... some of my earliest college football memories are of watching Raghib the Rocket Ismail playing in Michigan stadium. It's a shame so many great rivalries and traditions are being killed in the name of tv ratings and money.

It used to be that you would know it was fall when Michigan and Notre Dame were playing... I guess not any more.

 

[snowycuse]

Obvious natural opponent for Syracuse in the Meadowlands contract provided they also bring them to the Dome. Gross has a chance to actually prove himself.

 

[SU2NASA]

"To hell with Notre Dame" -Bo Schembechler.

 

[OrangePA]

I'm surprised.

I figured that Purdue and Michigan State would get the axe before the Wolverines.

So, in a few years we will have a schedule that could include ND, Clemson, Florida State, and Va Tech.

We need to recruit and fast!

 

[SU2NASA]

I'm surprised.

I figured that Purdue and Michigan State would get the axe before the Wolverines.

So, in a few years we will have a schedule that could include ND, Clemson, Florida State, and Va Tech.

We need to recruit and fast!

ND-MSU is one of the longest rivalries in college football having met 75 times.

 

[OrangePA]

ND-MSU is one of the longest rivalries in college football having met 75 times.

I didn't know that.

I just figured that ND - Michigan seems to be a bigger game than MSU or Purdue.

 

[MikeSU02]

I didn't know that.

I just figured that ND - Michigan seems to be a bigger game than MSU or Purdue.

Thought the exact same thing. I really thought USC and Mich wouldn't even be considered to be off ND's schedule.

[EDIT: Did not mean to say that USC is off. They are not.]

 

[Czar]

I didn't know that.

I just figured that ND - Michigan seems to be a bigger game than MSU or Purdue.

It's not. ND-Michigan is not a rivalry to either team, they're just enemies. Michigan for years tried to blackball Notre Dame and kill the program, Notre Dame loathes Michigan for this and hates the out of them. The series only existed because of the $$$.

 

[cto]

I'm surprised.

I figured that Purdue and Michigan State would get the axe before the Wolverines.


Shocker. I assume the thing same. I attended a Mich/ND game at ND about 20 years ago (ended in a tie). It sure seemed like a huge rivalry to me. It was worth the price of admission... just to hear the dueling bands. Just a great college football afternoon --- beautiful weather, hard-fought game, two highly ranked teams, packed ND Stadium ... and those two great bands.

 

[longtimefan]

I'm surprised.

I figured that Purdue and Michigan State would get the axe before the Wolverines.

So, in a few years we will have a schedule that could include ND, Clemson, Florida State, and Va Tech.

We need to recruit and fast!

If memory serves, ND-UM has been a fixture for only about 25 years (and a couple of those years may have been skipped). ND-MSU, on the other hand, has been pretty regular since the late '40's.

 

[orange79]

According to the College Football Data Warehouse, they have played 40 times (this year's game not included in the link below).

http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/bigten/michigan/opponents_records.php?teamid=2349

 

[longtimefan]

According to the College Football Data Warehouse, they have played 40 times (this year's game not included in the link below).

http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/bigten/michigan/opponents_records.php?teamid=2349

ND and Mich have played regularly since 1978, with 6 years off.

ND and Mich St have played regularly since 1948, with 4 years off. ND-MSU have played 76 times.

I think the Irish are more likely to keep the Spartans as a regular opponent.

 

[Scooch]

The preparation of the ND fanbase has begun.

 

[orange79]

The preparation of the ND fanbase has begun.

This. 5 games (or more) a year gets everyone 'used' to playing ACC teams. ND a full member of the ACC by 2020; most likely a few years before that.

 

[tep624]

It will happen, probably in the next 5-7 years. ND is clearly committed to the ACC if they're willing to pull out of signficant rivalry like this. This would NEVER have happened in the Big East.

 

[Eric15]

Gross has a chance to actually prove himself.

He's already proven himself - he's a very good AD and we're lucky to have him.

 

[baggerbob]

We're going to be playing 9 conference games every yr. OOC games should be Cornell,Colgate,Army 2 yrs,Navy 2yrs, play the service academies down in New York City. Good publicity for school and for the service schools. In New York the yrs we have 5 home conference games.

 

[OrangeCrush22]

Michigan is Notre Dame's 8th most played opponent at 39 games. Some of you are making a big deal about nothing. Northwestern is Notre Dame's 7th most played opponent, 47, and has played Notre Dame 8 more times than Michigan. Georgia Tech, who will be on their schedule frequently, is Notre Dame's 9th most played opponent at 34 games. Only 5 meetings behind Michigan.

Notre Dame's big games are Navy, Purdue, and USC. They've played Navy 85 times, Purdue and USC 83 times. Michigan State and Notre Dame have met up 75 times. Notre Dame and Pitt have played 67 times. Notre Dame's 6th most played opponent trails these five by a great number of meetings. Army and Notre Dame have met up 50 times.

 

[MaxwellCuse]

This is a link to an interesting piece on the roots of the ND-Michigan "rivalty" that was posted on the Scout Georgia Tech forum:

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/7954463/hate-fueled-football-great-rivalries

 

[kingottoiii]

I think ND should drop Mich St as well. No real point in playing them besides history. It is sad to see the Mich-ND game go. I know people here say well they only played so and so times. Well since the D1A and D1AA split they have played just about every year. It it was a rivalry. Rivalries are not just about numbers (see Pitt vs SU). It is about the play on the field, making Michigan arguably ND's biggest rivalry.

Anyway if I am ND I go to the ACC and say we will add a 6th ACC game (3 H and 3 A) if you allow us to play Pitt and BC every year, while rotating the other 12 schools (play each once in 3 years). The ACC actually makes out better in this case as they get one more game and teams play ND just as often. Meaning...

Every year: Pitt and BC
Year 1: FSU, Clemson, NC St, Wake
Year 2: Miami, GA Tech, UNC, Duke
Year 3: VT, UVA, SU, MD

That takes up 6 games for ND. They will play USC and Stanford (giving a Cali game every year). Then IMO they should play Texas every year with Navy road games being in Houston. That gives a game in that state every year. So now ND is up to 10 games, leaving two. They can keep Purdue if they want. Or they can make Army a yearly game and play the roadies in Fla or NYC. Finally they have a yearly MAC home game as a cupcake.

This gives ND a national schedule hitting every recruiting hotbed.

 

[omniorange]

As I understand it from an ND alum, the real problem apparently has to do with trying to balance out the "big" games between home and road (not for attendance purposes obviously, as would be an SU concern, but just increasing the odds of not having 2 or 3 potential losses to name opponents on the road every other year).

ND wanted to ensure when they signed the long-term agreement that the Irish were not playing both USC and Michigan away the same year like what often happened in the past.

But now Michigan has the same problem only worse with ND, Ohio State and Nebraska all away the same year. So Michigan wanted to switch back and ND said no.

Take it for what it's worth.

Cheers,
Neil

 

[Chip]

I'm surprised.

I figured that Purdue and Michigan State would get the axe before the Wolverines.

So, in a few years we will have a schedule that could include ND, Clemson, Florida State, and Va Tech.

We need to recruit and fast!

If the ACC really wanted to cram it in our cramhole, it could be ND, Clemson, Florida State, Va Tech and Miami in the same year.

ND-Michigan is always a fun game to watch, I hated that it was on at the same time as our snoozefest on Saturday, so I missed it this year.

But one thing to keep in mind, it's not like ND-Michigan was a long time every year rivalry. They have twice taken a 2 year break from playing in the last 15-20 years. So 4 years off in total over that period of time. So I don't think either school valued it the way ND values their Navy, USC rivalries. Michigan still has a more heated rival on their schedule each year anyway.