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[QUOTE="TerryD, post: 4263534, member: 3399"]
ND was/is willing to leave lots of dollars on the table to be a football independent.

They think that it is worth it to the school to do so, for football and non-sports reasons.

It considers that lost money as simply the cost of doing business as a football independent.

But, having to surrender independence AND having to drop down to a Tier 2 level conference paying $40-50 million a year less than the P2 conferences?

I don't think that will happen.  That makes little business sense.

(I think that the Supreme Court will rule in the near future that athletes are direct school employees.  That will mean, in either model, the schools, even "academic model" ones,  will be required to do "pay for play" or quit sponsoring sports)

Its possible that ND may try to stay a football independent AND be in an "academic mission" model, paying the players directly but trying to tie playing to academic standing.

(I am not sure that this will be legal if all "academic model" schools act in concert to impose this limitation on earnings. That may also be deemed an anti-trust violation)

But, I have little doubt the ND administration will strongly consider this.

There has been a conflict between academics and football for decades.  The administration has often "embarrassed" by football overshadowing academics at ND.

ND has self-imposed limits on football and run off successful coaches in the past (Leahy, Ara, Holtz).  It is pretty well documented.

But, I agree with Boggs that the big donors, alumni and fan base will massively revolt at the idea and ND will end up in the top level of football, in a Tier 1 conference, most likely the expanded Big Ten (yuck).

I came to that conclusion shortly after reading the Alston opinion.

It will be interesting to see how all of this shakes out.
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