Notre Dame vows to help Big East in football

[CyberBull]

Howie posted this article in another thread. However, it really deserves a thread of it's own. A lot of good (and not so good) stuff packed into this column.

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May 27, 2005  

Mitch Vingle

Notre Dame vows to help Big East in football

BIG EAST FANS have always had a love-hate relationship with Notre Dame.

They love the leverage the Irish bring during football bowl negotiations and the dollars they bring for Favorite Team’s home basketball dates. They hate the way the leprechauns can swipe Gator Bowl berths. And they really hate that the school won’t join in football and become a full member.

But lately Notre Dame has proven to be a pretty good friend to the Big East’s struggling football alliance.

 

When the Big East broke from recent meetings in Ponte Vedra, Fla., Irish athletic director Kevin White said with certainty his school would begin playing three football games with league teams each season. The start-up year for the agreement was reported by the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times as 2009.

“We have come to an agreement,’’ Notre Dame associate AD John Heisler confirmed Thursday. “This has been an unspoken thing for a long time, but it’s true.

“We’ll play Big East teams three times a year. I’d say, however, we won’t get to that until 2011. We do have one relationship set with Pittsburgh.’’

Pitt and Notre Dame have long played games. The teams will serve as opening-game opponents this coming season and have agreed to eight games between 2008 and 2015. The key with that contract is its home-and-home terms.

Which is also the key to the Irish’s upcoming games with Big East opponents. Notre Dame won’t be asking for 2-for-1 deals.

“[big East commissioner] Mike [Tranghese] came to us and said, ‘We think the Big East has been good to Notre Dame. As a partner, you can help us,’ ’’ said Heisler.

“What we’re talking about are straight home-and-home contracts because that’s what’s of benefit to the Big East. It’s important to us that the Big East hang in there.’’

Notre Dame obviously likes its setup. The Irish are a Big East member in every sport  including the powerful basketball leagues  except in football. And that probably won’t change.

“Our position with Mike is don’t expect us to become a full-fledged member,’’ Heisler said. “We told him not to do this if he expects us to become a full-fledged member.

“Mike in return asked that we do whatever we could to play X number of football games against Big East teams. We play Pitt fairly regularly. We’ve played West Virginia, Syracuse, Rutgers ...

“Mike asked us to make a greater commitment. We’ve done that. We’re as committed as ever to being an independent in football, but we value our membership in the Big East in other sports, be it basketball, baseball or whatever.’’

Heisler said Notre Dame is trying to “reinvent’’ the school’s football schedule. Indications are the Irish will no longer line up national powers almost wire-to-wire.

The upcoming schedule has Notre Dame at Pitt, at Michigan, home to Michigan State, at Washington and at Purdue before a stretch of home games against USC, BYU, Tennessee, Navy and Syracuse. The Irish end the season at Stanford.

“That’s the poster child of what you don’t want to do,’’ Heisler said, specifically pointing to the four early road games.

What may happen is a cutback on Big Ten opponents.

“We’re working through all of this,’’ Heisler said. “We’ll do it in stages.’’

The associate AD said the school is not only trying to incorporate Big East teams, it is also trying to play a more reasonable lineup and secure a seventh home game each season. Oh yeah, and play in New York.

“If playing Big East teams is our No. 1 commitment,’’ Heisler said, “then No. 2 is to play in New York every year, whether it’s at Giant Stadium or a new stadium.’’

A lot of juggling but, again, pay attention to the commitment to the Big East. Now, does that translate into a bowl partnership commitment? Anyone who reads this space knows the Big East’s agreement with the prestigious Gator Bowl is on thin ice at best. The league’s No. 2 team may end up going to the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando, Fla.

“Everything there is up for grabs,’’ Heisler said. “I like the phrase our athletic director, Kevin White, uses in regard to the bowls. He says, ‘Everyone is trying to find a prettier girl they can take to the dance.’

“We’ve continued to jog along with the Big East. I’d say we’ll stay with [the league] unless there are massive changes. ... We haven’t told [Tranghese] we’re going to do something else.’’

To contact sports editor Mitch Vingle, send e-mail to mitchvingle@wvgazette.com or call 348-4827.

http://www.wvgazette.com/section/Sports/2005052712

[BULLfreak]

If they really want to help the Big East out ND needs to get of the high horse and become a BE member for football. I can't think of another school that plays both D1 football and basketball but are not in the same conference for both.

[Bullpride08]

Freak,

I understand your position, and honestly, as a huge ND fan growing up with family that attended the school, I believe it would be in ND's best interest to join the Big East.  However, their alumni are very, very strong, and very, very wealthy.  They want independence, and they demand independence in football so the school is going to stay that way, for the next 6 years (remember why change before 2010 when the BCS is up for renegotation).  

The best idea for ND to help their struggling football program, and the one I've heard haggled about my ND family members, is their suggestion or plan to start regionalizing their schedule quite a bit more, and cutdown on powerhouse opponents.  In fact, there's even been mention by some ND alum, and board members to allow them to play 1 or 2 non-BCS programs, or even 1-AA programs- which will never happen.  I think the move to play BE teams is their way of weakening the schedule.  Expect them to only play one other west coast team from now on when they have USC on the road.

With all that being said, this article and agreement is huge, enormous for USF.  ND has basically assured us the BCS, and major bowl tie-ins.  We need to keep the Gator, AND the Champ Sports.  With the Champ Sports bowl jumping it's payout to $1.7MM/team, that means having the Gator, and Champ would give some sizable payouts and bowl tie-ins, that honestly only some affiliation with ND will help out with.  Furthermore playing ND will help with our conference to fill out schedules, and increase everyone's SOS- as well as national exposure.  If there are three BE v. ND games a year, then that means there are at least three NATIONALLY televised BE games a year.   It also gives a greater potential that ND could visit Tampa someday.

This is huge news, and it basically guaranteed the fortitude of the BE in football.  

[Jim Johnson]

Cyber...

I agree that there are alot of good stuff... but let's look at one thing more closely:

“We’ll play Big East teams three times a year. I’d say, however, we won’t get to that until 2011.

The St. Pete Times reported it as 2009. Heck, 2011 is AFTER the current BCS contract is up.  There could be another mild realignment by then...

"We do have one relationship set with Pittsburgh.’’

Pitt and Notre Dame . . . have agreed to eight games between 2008 and 2015. The key with that contract is its home-and-home terms.

So, from 2011-2015 there will be 3 games against Big East teams... one of which will be Pittsburgh.  That means there are 4 slots for games in New York (Giants stadium) and 2 slots for home-and-home seriese in those 4 years for the other 7 teams in the Big East.

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Here are my predictions for 2011-2015:

2011: Pittsburgh, Syracuse, @ West Virgina, & Rutgers in New York

2012: @Pittsburgh, Louisville, @ Syracuse, & Connecticut in New York

2013: Pittsburgh, West Virginia, @ Cincinnati, & South Florida in New York

2014: @ Pittsburgh, Rutgers, @ Louisville, & Syracuse in New York

2015: Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, @ Rutgers, & Connecticut in New York

With the large number of Catholics in New York, Notre Dame can do well there against any team... and since South Florida will have the furthest to travel, I would expect that we would get a NY game before we get invited to South Bend...

Of course, I am just pulling these out of my a$$...

[Guest Sprtsfn627]

Sadly, I think Pittsburgh counts as one of the three teams...so really, they are only adding 2 games against Big East teams.

[Metro_Retro_Bull]

Hate Notre Dame. Love any help they give the BE.

[Brad]

They'll play hoops in the best basketball conference in the country.  It got to that level with out the help of Notre Dame.  They clearly benefit from their membership.  They ought to do more for the conference overall by leveraging football.  In the equation, they are more "takers" than "givers."

I like Tranghese for broaching the subject with them - I think he will push harder as necessary.  

[MavTechKNIGHT2]

Their fans are quite fickle.  This is NOT a slam but I doubt they will be playing you guys anytime soon.  I would think they are going to fill the 3 positions with the big names for now (Syracuse, WVU, and Pitt).  Howver, if you guys do make an immediate impact, that would obviously help.

[USFMikeB]

Actually, I see them playing the weaker teams in the BE.  There've been a few stories coming out of South Bend lately that they need to tone down their schedule a bit, because they need a more diversified schedule of strong, mid, and weak teams in order to have a better winning percentage.  If we are perceived to be a weaker team, then we'll stand a better chance of playing them, especially since we know they want to play in Florida for recruiting purposes.

[WoolyBully]

I agree. I don't think USF is on the ND 'good idea' list.  Wait and see how things shake out, and maybe down the road, we'll get a game with them. Until then - just bein' honest - it's the more 'known' teams that ND will be squaring off against.