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Message: [QUOTE="Lou_C, post: 696559, member: 3201"] 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. [/QUOTE]

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