Expansion & Notre Dame ...

[macphisto]

they would join the big 10 in non-football sports.

Nope.  That was really their preference, but the Big Ten has an all or nothing attitude with ND.

Why not let them keep their NBC contract money if they join and then see about leveraging ND's clout to get a Big East deal with NBC for weeks when ND is not at home?  Exposure on a major network is a plus.

[Cow Pie]

While scanning ESPN radio for news about our next head coach I heard that a huge delegation of Big10 big wigs are in Rutgers right now

[SRQ]

The thing is, opting for this is easy for us from where we sit. If you ask us to pick now, side with football or basketball, the choice is easy. But when you ask that of Syracuse or UConn, whose bread and butter is certainly basketball, or even WVU, Cincy, or Louisville, the decision is considerably less clear. Put another way, just because a school is one of the eight with a football team doesn't mean they'd side with football if talks of a split were to come up.

This an excellent point I had not considered.  Those schools may very well view themselves as 'basketball schools' first and if so, they love the BE just like it is.

[Doc]

Maybe there lies the solution to protect from being raided after all... Give Notre Dame the "ultimatum" to join in ALL sports or else.  Of course ND laughs at us going out the door.  I think the BigTen then quickly scoops up their non-football sports and, oops!  They now have a nice tidy 12 and football expansion goes back on hold; they don't want a cumbersome 13th team.  We pick up a FBall/BBall team (pick one you like), and get to keep Pitt/Cuse/RU.  Maybe the money lost without ND's other sports is somewhat offset by not losing Pitt/Cuse/RU.

Now of course, for this scenario to work, it requires that ND goes to the BigTen for all other sports.  If the BigTen also says "all or nothing," and ND walks, we're still vulnerable to being raided.  But, where else would ND go for BBall, etc?  This would put them in a tough spot -- would ND sacrifice all their other sports for football independence?  Maybe.  And wouldn't it be fun to watch!

[IHuckItDeep]

While scanning ESPN radio for news about our next head coach I heard that a huge delegation of Big10 big wigs are in Rutgers right now

if we are raided the school I would care the least about leaving is rutgers......but i really hope were not

[Guest nybullsfan]

Maybe there lies the solution to protect from being raided after all... Give Notre Dame the "ultimatum" to join in ALL sports or else.  Of course ND laughs at us going out the door.  I think the BigTen then quickly scoops up their non-football sports and, oops!  They now have a nice tidy 12 and football expansion goes back on hold; they don't want a cumbersome 13th team.  We pick up a FBall/BBall team (pick one you like), and get to keep Pitt/Cuse/RU.  Maybe the money lost without ND's other sports is somewhat offset by not losing Pitt/Cuse/RU.

Now of course, for this scenario to work, it requires that ND goes to the BigTen for all other sports.  If the BigTen also says "all or nothing," and ND walks, we're still vulnerable to being raided.  But, where else would ND go for BBall, etc?  This would put them in a tough spot -- would ND sacrifice all their other sports for football independence?  Maybe.  And wouldn't it be fun to watch!

The BE will never kick out ND. Much as it galls me to say so, they bring too much prestige to the league. Even if their underwater basketweaving team is the worst in the country, it's STILL Notre Dame, and it will still draw more butts in seats than any other team in the conference. We're stuck with them, UNLESS they decide for themselves that they want to leave. Which they never will, since no other BCS league would let them stay independent in football.

If we end up kicking anybody out, it'll be Marquette, Depaul, Providence, Seton Hall, or St Johns.

[Doc]

But that's my point.  If ND's name brings so much to the table, then why wouldn't the BigTen pick them up even without football?  And if the BigTen says "all or nothing," where does ND go for all their other sports?  ND in the BigTen (FBall or not) could stave off a raid, and perhaps that's worth the price of losing them.

[Guest nybullsfan]

But that's my point.  If ND's name brings so much to the table, then why wouldn't the BigTen pick them up even without football?  And if the BigTen says "all or nothing," where does ND go for all their other sports?  ND in the BigTen (FBall or not) could stave off a raid, and perhaps that's worth the price of losing them.

Because the B10 is more prestigious than the BE. The BE needs ND more than ND needs the BE, which means ND can write their own rules. The B10 would like ND, but doesn't need them, and wouldn't accept a partial membership. Just my opinion.