Swofford Let the Dame Out of the Bag...Surprising!: Really

[arbitragegls]

Well a secret can be broken only by the parties that choose to break it (and those in confidence are pledged not to say a word)...and surprisingly Swofford at the ACC Media Day let the Dame out of the bag.
Have we wondered why Notre Dame agreed to those 5 ACC games a year; why Notre Dame agreed to the $50 million exit fee; and more recently why Notre Dame agreed to and signed the GOR; or more importantly what has help to hold the ACC together--its a contractual agreement between the ACC and Notre Dame...and what is that contractual agreement:

As stated by Swofford publicly today...for the very first time in public:

"The commissioner said that if Notre Dame ever chooses to place its fiercely independent football program in a league before 2026-27, "that conference by contractual agreement would be the (ACC)." --ESPN and the Associated Press

So big deal right?...actually, really a very big deal!!!! This was the unknown/unseen card that has led to much of the good news coming from the ACC in the past year. Swofford the ninja, or as I prefer, Mr. Stealth--with all do respect to our pay side--had this contractual agreement up his sleeve...well on paper anyway. Remember our postings about Notre Dame and the ACC and the initial posts Notre Dame was coming to the ACC...and then the discussion about ACC/Notre Dame in conference...and then the extensions of both the ACC and Notre Dame TV contracts with different partners...do you really think that this contractual agreement is not part of those TV contracts...do you remember Swofford saying that Notre Dame and the ACC TV contract would be able to be rolled into each other...ah now we know...and damn the other seers...the ACC and Notre Dame are not only dating...the marriage is going to come in our lifetime--so SPURRIER keep talking and push that thought.

 

[retro44]

spurrier is an a$$clown who won't admit that his players are already exceeding the $300.00 game allowance that his players are receiving. Tuition alone far exceeds the allotment he wants to give.

does he really think that players whose parents live a time zone away or two would think it's fair that a player whose parents live instate should get the same allowance. How many airfairs would cost under $300 bucks for two tickets.

before you know it they would want the allowance to far exceed $1000 bucks and tittle 9 would clog the court calendars.

when does the GOR expire in the ACC? BEFORE OR AFTER 2026-2027

 

[Btstimpy]

Well a secret can be broken only by the parties that choose to break it (and those in confidence are pledged not to say a word)...and surprisingly Swofford at the ACC Media Day let the Dame out of the bag.
Have we wondered why Notre Dame agreed to those 5 ACC games a year; why Notre Dame agreed to the $50 million exit fee; and more recently why Notre Dame agreed to and signed the GOR; or more importantly what has help to hold the ACC together--its a contractual agreement between the ACC and Notre Dame...and what is that contractual agreement:

As stated by Swofford publicly today...for the very first time in public:

"The commissioner said that if Notre Dame ever chooses to place its fiercely independent football program in a league before 2026-27, "that conference by contractual agreement would be the (ACC)." --ESPN and the Associated Press

So big deal right?...actually, really a very big deal!!!! This was the unknown/unseen card that has led to much of the good news coming from the ACC in the past year. Swofford the ninja, or as I prefer, Mr. Stealth--with all do respect to our pay side--had this contractual agreement up his sleeve...well on paper anyway. Remember our postings about Notre Dame and the ACC and the initial posts Notre Dame was coming to the ACC...and then the discussion about ACC/Notre Dame in conference...and then the extensions of both the ACC and Notre Dame TV contracts with different partners...do you really think that this contractual agreement is not part of those TV contracts...do you remember Swofford saying that Notre Dame and the ACC TV contract would be able to be rolled into each other...ah now we know...and damn the other seers...the ACC and Notre Dame are not only dating...the marriage is going to come in our lifetime--so SPURRIER keep talking and push that thought.

I always assumed this to be the case, but it is true that Swofford has never said it publicly that it was a contract. Do you see any significance to his announcing this today? Or is it done during the media day as a review of the past year's activities and looking at this year?

 

[OrangeXtreme]

What happens when Notre Dame waits to 2028 to announce they are joining the B1G with Oklahoma?

 

[nd1973]

I was glad that he confirmed what I(most) believed would happen if we're forced to join a conference. At least UCONN, WVU, and all Big Ten fans can stop predicting we will be in the Big Ten eventually. The ACC is were we belong and if ever forced it makes the most sense to join in full.

 

[rrlbees]

2026 is soooo far away the whole landscape coud be different by then. I'll think about it in 2024.


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[javadoc]

2026 is soooo far away the whole landscape coud be different by then. I'll think about it in 2024.


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Swofford now has a strong incentive to manipulate the game to get only conference champions in the national playoff.

 

[Scooch]

ND could sign a contract that they're required to move their campus to Mars if they choose to move their campus before 2026 too.

I suspect that's as likely to happen as them giving up independence.

 

[SUinNYC]

2026 is soooo far away the whole landscape coud be different by then. I'll think about it in 2024.


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There might not even be college football in 2026.

 

[elimunelson]

ND could sign a contract that they're required to move their campus to Mars if they choose to move their campus before 2026 too.

I suspect that's as likely to happen as them giving up independence.

I used to think that way too but really why would every conference continue to cowtow to ND? They aren't special anymore and no reason to have special rules for them with regards to the playoff. Maybe i'm missing something but why would the SEC/Big 10/Pac whatever want them taking a spot in the playoffs?

 

[oldpinepoint]

http://m.usatoday.com/article/news/2574369

This article plus the recent comments by the SEC and Big12 commissioners tells me that changes are coming to the NCAA. They want to split the large conferences from the small, especially in football. If this is the case Then I would expect ND to join the ACC full time.

 

[shantydaze]

This could also be a poison pill to protect ND's independence. Right now, the only way ND joins a conference is if it is forced to do so as a result of the new playoff system. If the B1G or XII wanted ND to join, their best bet would have been to exclude the school from the playoff system. If they do so now, ND is contractually obligated to join a competitor - the ACC. Therefore, it forces B1G and XII to protect ND's position within the system in order to maintain status quo until after the 26-27 season and allows ND to remain independent.

 

[javadoc]

This could also be a poison pill to protect ND's independence. Right now, the only way ND joins a conference is if it is forced to do so as a result of the new playoff system. If the B1G or XII wanted ND to join, their best bet would have been to exclude the school from the playoff system. If they do so now, ND is contractually obligated to join a competitor - the ACC. Therefore, it forces B1G and XII to protect ND's position within the system in order to maintain status quo until after the 26-27 season and allows ND to remain independent.

Unless ND is taking a spot that those conferences think they could have got a second team into.

 

[Lou_C]

This could also be a poison pill to protect ND's independence. Right now, the only way ND joins a conference is if it is forced to do so as a result of the new playoff system. If the B1G or XII wanted ND to join, their best bet would have been to exclude the school from the playoff system. If they do so now, ND is contractually obligated to join a competitor - the ACC. Therefore, it forces B1G and XII to protect ND's position within the system in order to maintain status quo until after the 26-27 season and allows ND to remain independent.

That's an interesting take. But at this point, I don't think it matters. The ACC is so clearly the best place for Notre Dame to land should football give up independence, and has been for a while. The Big 10 just isn't a fit, and it's not just the bad blood. ND is already playing in the Midwest for all its home games. It wants to play in the Northeast, South, Atlantic, West coast, etc. The ACC is the best fit and it isn't close.

Although none of that should be construed as believing they will put football in the ACC any time soon. But IF they join a conference, they are joining the ACC. Notre Dame knows it, the ACC knows it, and every other conference knows it. That was never the case in the Big East.

Besides, Notre Dame's "independence" is now for all of three football games. They signed over control of five of their 10 available schedule slots. They are hardly the mighty stand alone organization they were before. They needed the ACC for bowl slots and non-football sports, and gave up half their football schedule to secure it.

The amount of independence Notre Dame has given up over the last 20 years is pretty remarkable, but it's been baby steps. It may take another generation, but it's all down to three games now. How long will it take their fan base to get over those three games? I guarantee in 1985 if you would have told Domers they'd committ half their schedule to the ACC, they'd be marching with pitchforks. It's a process, and it's understandable.

Should be real interesting to see how ND is treated by the playoffs, compared to how they were treated by the BCS. Wonder what happens if/when an 11-2 or 12-1 ACC champion that ND beat makes the playoffs over a 10-2 or 11-1 Notre Dame. Especially if ND has used their Orange Bowl slots and ends up in the Russell instead of the playoffs. Remember, there's no conference championship requirement for the playoffs, OFICIALLY. It's yet to be seen how much the committee weighs conference championships however, and it could be substantial.

Obviously, the ACC has to worry about even being in position to be selected to the playoffs first, but if that happens a few times, it will be interesting how many ND people are still going to be hung up on their three independent games.

 

[javadoc]

I guarantee in 1985 if you would have told Domers they'd committ half their schedule to the ACC, they'd be marching with pitchforks. It's a process, and it's understandable.

The important thing to note is that they are committed to a round-robin schedule more or less.

"Committing to the ACC" now doesn't mean the same as it would have in 1985, without Pitt, BC, Syracuse, and Florida State as potential opponents.