Intresting: BCS & Notre Dame

[Joe]

Under current rules, Notre Dame collects $1.3 million per year from the BCS just for suiting up. Doesn't have to go to a bowl. Doesn't have to win a game.

That is the average conference payout.

Lets out it this way the last two years the most watched BCS games have been the National Title games (obviously) the second most watched game in 2006? The Fiesta Bowl staring Notre Dame...The second most watched bowl game this year? The Sugar Bowl staring Notre Dame.

The worst rated Bowl this year? Louisville/Wake The worest rated bowl last year? WVU/ Georgia The worst rated bowl in 2005? Pitt-Utah

The point is that nice 17 Million dollar payout the Big East has gotten despite having a team in the lowest rated game each is paid by advertising and sponsors. I guarentee you take ND and their potential ratings out, you have much less of a sum.

ND = Money...life isn't fair. It's all about money and that is why no conference will EVER force ND out of the equation, because they know they need ND to maximize their bottom line.

[HarveyGlass]

Notre Dame's draw had zero effect on last year's Orange Bowl ratings, sponsors, and advertising.

Notre Dame played in the Sugar Bowl.  The Sugar Bowl was played on a different date, at a different time, and with plenty of prior notice. ;D  Nobody that watched the Orange Bowl thought they were getting ND.

If Notre Dame had not played in a BCS bowl last year, all that money would still have been the same.  Those bowl games may have been the "worst rated" BCS bowls in their respective years, but, irregardless of ND comparisons, they were very highly rated television events worthy of top-shelf advertising dollars.

My point is money made by networks has nothing to do with BCS schools opting to blackball ND.  Yes a school will make short-term money by playing ND, but playing them once every five years does not equal windfall lottery dollars.  Especially at a school that sells out their stadium anyway.

And why does ND deserve the average conference payout when they are not in a conference?

You guys are funny. ND brings in more money for networks than any other football team, yet you think that the BCS and Big East should run the full court press on them?

Yes, they absolutely should.  In the name of sportsmanship and an even playing field.  Will they?  Who knows, probably not.  But the bottom line is that you never say never.  If you want to resign yourself to believe that a change along those lines is hopeless, that's fine, but I'm not going to be convinced that ND's stance on fairness and money is good for anyone.

JoeB, ND belonged in the Sugar?  Did you see that game?

[BullsDude08]

I hate Notre Dame

[SANJAY]

They don't bring that money to other conferences though.  Not in meaningful numbers.

If BCS schools refuse to play ND, NBC can show all the Irish games they want, but it won't last long.

Notre Dame is not the one with the most power here.  They would submit or they would become a shriveled-up mid-major.

If BCS conferences refused to allow their member teams to play Notre Dame, ND would slap an antitrust lawsuit on all of them.  A probably successful suit.  It would end the BCS, which would not be that bad in my opinion, but that is exactly why it will not happen.  The BCS conferences and ND have all the reason in the world to continue to do what it takes to expand the pie for themselves with the occasional bone to the non-BCS.

[CyberBull]

guys....notre Dame will help the BigEast in securing better bowl games next time the contracts are up for renewal.

Let's face it, there are only two teams in the BigEast that really travel well: UL and West Virginia. That is why the Orange Bowl ended their official affiliation with the BigEast as the BE's anchor BCS bowl and why the Gator Bowl was openly looking for alternatives.

Now this was all before the BE's last two seasons but a BE with Notre Dame as a potential bowl partner could help the BE get better bowl games so we can drop the Muffler and Pizza Bowls.

[Don Toro]

You guys are funny. ND brings in more money for networks than any other football team, yet you think that the BCS and Big East should run the full court press on them?

Notre Dame's nonrevenue sports have great followings, so good it's what kept CSTV alive when it first came on the air, and eventually drove the price of their sale to CBS over $300M.

It's a money world. Notre Dame not only has it, but they also bring it.

Joe no matter how many times you bring the same stuff up everytime somebody suggests kicking them out of the BCS we still would want them out because of that preferential treatment. Yes I get it, they bring money in.  Who doesn't know that? You make it seem as if this is the only possible way for ND to be in the BCS. Force 'em to join a conference. College football is not gonna go to sh!t if ND joins the Big X or the Big East. If they leave the Big East in the other sports we will be fine, just like the rest of the other conferences are fine w/o them.

[Joe]

Notre Dame's draw had zero effect on last year's Orange Bowl ratings, sponsors, and advertising.

Notre Dame played in the Sugar Bowl.  The Sugar Bowl was played on a different date, at a different time, and with plenty of prior notice. ;D  Nobody that watched the Orange Bowl thought they were getting ND.

Harvey, the BCS is the combination of all 5 Bowls. They all share sponsorship and advertising money which is used to pay the conferences handsomely. I am not saying ND's draw affected the ratings, but these sponsors pay millions of dollars to the BCS knowing that a team like ND could be in ANY BCS bowl

If Notre Dame had not played in a BCS bowl last year, all that money would still have been the same.  Those bowl games may have been the "worst rated" BCS bowls in their respective years, but, irregardless of ND comparisons, they were very highly rated television events worthy of top-shelf advertising dollars.

Thats not the point. The point is the potential of ND being there. These guys aren't shelling out millions hoping for Wake/UL they want Notre Dame v. LSU; Ohio State v. Florida; Michigan v. USC.

A 6.3 TV rating was what the rating for this years Orange Bowl (good for 2nd place that night), however, the BCS as a congomorate evens a poor rating through other games like Notre Dame/LSU.

My point is money made by networks has nothing to do with BCS schools opting to blackball ND.  Yes a school will make short-term money by playing ND, but playing them once every five years does not equal windfall lottery dollars.  Especially at a school that sells out their stadium anyway.

Yes it does, ask Frito Lay, FedEx, AT&T, Allstate, etc if they would still pay up to $20 Million a year knowing that the most popular college football team in the United States is not included in the agreement?

How about Fox? Do you think they'd shell out $80 Million a year for 4 games knowing the biggest draw in football wouldn't have an opportunity to play in it?

Did you not see how the Big East football deal suffered when VT, Miami, and BC jumped ship.

TV ratings have proven people tune in for Notre Dame. The 2 biggest Saturday night games on ABC this year? USC-ND (it's 9 rating was the highest rated regular season game since UF/FSU in the mid 90s) Its games against Georgia Tech and Michigan State finished 3-4 in the ratings (Ohio State/Texas finished 2nd)

And why does ND deserve the average conference payout when they are not in a conference?

read above.

Yes, they absolutely should.  In the name of sportsmanship and an even playing field.  Will they?  Who knows, probably not.  But the bottom line is that you never say never.  If you want to resign yourself to believe that a change along those lines is hopeless, that's fine, but I'm not going to be convinced that ND's stance on fairness and money is good for anyone.

What are they doing that is so unfair? They make college football (and the BCS) a lot of money and it directly benefits the Big East. I really don't understand why everyone is up in arms about a team that is more successful by themselves than in a conference, who cares.

ND will always be selected by the BCS because they pull in ratings and those ratings directly benefit the Big East allowing bigger payouts than if Notre Dame was not a part of the package.

[Joe]

College football is not gonna go to sh!t if ND joins the Big X or the Big East. If they leave the Big East in the other sports we will be fine, just like the rest of the other conferences are fine w/o them.

No but ND's bottom line will. Most teams like Penn State, South Carolina, FSU, and Miami HAD to join conferences because they are not and will never be self supported. In the late 80s Notre Dame began shopping around individual TV rights which killed the CFA and forced independent teams into conferences because it was very apparant that TV contracts was going away from the CFA (kinda like the BCS conferences and several major independent teams holding one TV contract for all the teams) to a system where individual conferences would sign TV deals.

Notre Dame makes more money as an independent than they would having to share football revenue with Big Ten teams like Indiana and Northwestern or Big East teams like UConn and Cincy.

Big East sports would probably be fine. But we'd lose our only school in the top 25 of the Sears cup. Along with a top 25 academic institute.

[HarveyGlass]

College football is not gonna go to sh!t if ND joins the Big X or the Big East. If they leave the Big East in the other sports we will be fine, just like the rest of the other conferences are fine w/o them.

No but ND's bottom line will. Most teams like Penn State, South Carolina, FSU, and Miami HAD to join conferences because they are not and will never be self supported. In the late 80s Notre Dame began shopping around individual TV rights which killed the CFA and forced independent teams into conferences because it was very apparant that TV contracts was going away from the CFA (kinda like the BCS conferences and several major independent teams holding one TV contract for all the teams) to a system where individual conferences would sign TV deals.

Notre Dame makes more money as an independent than they would having to share football revenue with Big Ten teams like Indiana and Northwestern or Big East teams like UConn and Cincy.

Big East sports would probably be fine. But we'd lose our only school in the top 25 of the Sears cup. Along with a top 25 academic institute.

Why do you give a flying flip about ND's bottom line?  That's for ND to worry about.

And I really don't think anybody is arguing that ND doesn't make more money now than they would in a conference.  Of course they do, that's why they don't want to be in a conference.

All we're saying is that if you don't want to join a conference, fine.  Just don't expect all the perks and privileges that are afforded to those who are in conferences.  They want it all.  And once again, that's alright by them.  But they are not as important to college football as you or they think they are.

Yes it does, ask Frito Lay, FedEx, AT&T, Allstate, etc if they would still pay up to $20 Million a year knowing that the most popular college football team in the United States is not included in the agreement?

How about Fox? Do you think they'd shell out $80 Million a year for 4 games knowing the biggest draw in football wouldn't have an opportunity to play in it?

Absolutely they would.  You think that the rights to the college football national championship, as well as the Rose Bowl, Sugar, Orange, etc. would be bargain basement cheap just because Notre Dame isn't playing?  That's ridiculous.  I can't believe that.

From the Houston Chronicle...

Even the aforementioned OU-Boise State nailbiter didn't chalk up blockbuster ratings. That game did an 8.4 national rating, which tied for 34th among the 36 BCS games, and the Sugar Bowl between LSU and Notre Dame came in at 9.3, down from 12.2 for the Penn State-Florida State Orange Bowl in the same time slot a year ago.

 ND is not that important.

What are they doing that is so unfair?

Well, that's what it comes down to.  If you don't see the obscene advantages they get in return for some abstract calculation about their worth to the entire world, then I don't know what else to say.

I guess they get most of their **** from stealing bowls from much more deserving teams.  All you have to do is look at their horrible bowl record to see how they are constantly over-matched.

Once again...

The real standard is the top 14, which makes teams eligible for an at-large berth. The difference is that while a team like Bowling Green would be eligible, a team like Notre Dame Notre Dame would be a lock.

[Joe]

Why do you give a flying flip about ND's bottom line?  That's for ND to worry about.

And I really don't think anybody is arguing that ND doesn't make more money now than they would in a conference.  Of course they do, that's why they don't want to be in a conference.

All we're saying is that if you don't want to join a conference, fine.  Just don't expect all the perks and privileges that are afforded to those who are in conferences.  They want it all.  And once again, that's alright by them.  But they are not as important to college football as you or they think they are.

Yes they are, if they weren't the networks wouldn't be falling all over the place to assure the best TV spots when they are on their networks. (See ABC three exclusive prime time games)