Notre Dame to the ACC, but not in football? It’s still a big deal
ACC commish John Swofford: The man is earning his money, you'd have to say. (AP photo)
Well, it’s official. The ACC is bigger than the SEC.
OK, only by a margin of one. But you’d have to admit: In college football, Notre Dame is a pretty big one.
OK, so there’s an asterisk, and a pretty big one to boot: Notre Dame is joining the ACC in every conference sport except football. But the Irish have committed to playing five football games every season against ACC opposition, and that can’t help but heighten the profile of a league that, at least in football, could stand some heightening.
And you’ve have to think that Notre Dame agreeing to play five games against the ACC only clears the path for the Irish to commit to playing a full conference slate someday soon. (There are press conferences scheduled for later in the day, so maybe we’ll know more then.) As they say in England, and perhaps in Ireland: In for a penny, in for a pound.
Back in a bit with more. And before you get all a-dither: No, I do NOT think this means the ACC has become a better football league than the SEC. But I do think this is another good step by John Swofford and his crew, and it wasn’t so long ago that we wondered if Swofford’s league had any credibility left.
(Here, as threatened, is the longer take on Notre Dame and the ACC.)
By Mark Bradley
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335 comments Add your comment
JB
September 12th, 2012
12:37 pm
Why are we scared. Maybe Tech will play them before us and have Tech bloodied and beat up for us maybe ?
Conference hater
September 12th, 2012
12:38 pm
Did you dimwits ever think that every shool has the right to NOT be in a conference? That joining a conference is more than just about football and basketball, there are actually academic implications that are involved?
JB
September 12th, 2012
12:39 pm
Do they sit on the back row during the league spring meetings?
David
September 12th, 2012
12:40 pm
Mediocre ACC, meet mediocre Notre Dame. Slow news day.
GTBob
September 12th, 2012
12:40 pm
Not sure how to italicize…but this is exactly the problem.
What is the problem? Notre Dame in football is a non conference game for whoever plays them. It doesn’t really change much.
Time
September 12th, 2012
12:40 pm
No, GT Boob, it’s more like ND is actually more irrelevant than the ACC. It’s not about hate. Hard to hate things that mean zero. Just like Tech, the ACC and especially ND. Irrelevant has beens and never was’s the lot of you.
Tucker
September 12th, 2012
12:41 pm
Notre Dame continues the trend of “has been” programs joining the ACC. Congratulations to the Fighting Irish for finding a place to land. Congratulations to the ACC for sticking by its traditions.
buckheadboy
September 12th, 2012
12:42 pm
I’m happy to hear the news about Notre Dame and the ACC. The Yellow Jackets and the Fighting Irish both have rich, tradition-based programs of excellence in academics and athletics. My hope is that N.D. will join the ACC as a full-time member in all sports. Just to dream a bit (unrealistically, I suppose), but it would be wonderful if G.T. and N.D. could have a traditional opening matchup each season. Yes, it would be a tough game for both teams at the start of the season, but the anticipation would be delicious for a lot of college football fans nationwide. Or maybe we could drop that last game of the year with the Athens crowd, reschedule it between, say, South Carolina and Florida during the middle of the season, and end the year with a traditional rival more in tune with each other’s culture and image – N.D. versus G.T (”The Battle of the Gold”).
GTBob
September 12th, 2012
12:43 pm
GTBob,
The real question is what 5 games will ND give up?
It will be interesting to see how they approach that. I would guess that USC, Navy, and Michigan are locks. Probably Stanford as well. I have read in a few places that they will give more emphasis to maintaining a west coast presence.
Silly Bloggers
September 12th, 2012
12:45 pm
Scared? Hardly. I would like the ACC to become a better conference. I have a lot of friends that attended ACC schools…I’d say that is due to geography, but that isn’t quite the case anymoer with A&M/Missouri in the ACC and Pitt/Cuse/BC in the ACC.
I am actually really, really disappointed ND did not go all-in on this deal. I have been wanting them in the ACC for years now. They are a great fit academically, have a ton of tradition, are despised by many in college football (which is only good for money and ratings), etc. The ACC should want them in their conference, but not at the expense of favoritism.
Bama, USC, and Ohio State are all historic programs that equally share revenue. Then you have Texas and you have seen the fallout that caused in the Big 12. ND is not gawd’s gift, no pun intended.
GTBob
September 12th, 2012
12:45 pm
One thing for GT fans to consider is the scheduling. We are going to a 9 game conference schedule, and we play UGA and we will be playing ND from time to time. Our schedule should be much more fan friendly after that.
caleb king
September 12th, 2012
12:46 pm
Hambersham Dawg, Go back to the production line at Fieldale!!!!!! You are funny!!!!!!!!!!!
southern bell
September 12th, 2012
12:46 pm
Time for GT fans to pull out the Rudy was offsides shirts.
Webster
September 12th, 2012
12:47 pm
This is absolutely wonderful news! Now, let’s go get some rings made!
WOW
September 12th, 2012
12:47 pm
AtlantaDude….you flea bag. I suppose Mizzou and A&M are in the South East too! They don’t exactly line up to the geographics of the SEC either!
donnie
September 12th, 2012
12:47 pm
Atlantadude – They’re on the midwestern coast, kind of like Missouri
afan
September 12th, 2012
12:48 pm
Leo will love this……..
JB
September 12th, 2012
12:49 pm
GTBob……….We both agree on that. I know PC and Western Carolina will be PO’ed. I wish the Dawgs would tone up their schedule but we’ll get ours in a couple of years when we rotate back to LSU,Bama, Arkansas on top of SC,Fla,AU and Tenn. Ouch.
Sonny Clusters
September 12th, 2012
12:51 pm
We was considering Notre Dame until we got Clemson stars in our eyes.
Silly Bloggers
September 12th, 2012
12:51 pm
Bob, the problem is it doesn’t accomplish anything. Granted, it is a non-conference game. But you still need two teams to get to a 16 team superconference. I’d be really surprised if this doesn’t happen soon for the ACC, PAC, SEC, and B1G. It isn’t as if you need the academic boost considering the presence of Syracuse, GT, Wake, Duke, UNC, etc. The ACC is already one of the two premier conferences in basketball (along with the Big East).
And it sets a bad precedent if any other school of significance wants to join the ACC…do they get to set the terms as well? I am not saying that ND = Texas. But I am saying they are similar in the fact that they do not play by the same rules as the rest of the conference. The Big East never got ND to commit to football either. ND gets the best of both worlds (conference affiliation for the lesser sports and Independent status for football). Even if there is a monetary gain for the ACC schools, I guarantee ND gets the most out of it.
te29wr
September 12th, 2012
12:53 pm
This is the easiest conf. ND could get in and try to win a NC ACC is a whore for being taken adv. of with out a full commitment.
afan
September 12th, 2012
12:53 pm
u right silly
Rudy
September 12th, 2012
12:54 pm
Tech is still a terrible football team!
kerryb
September 12th, 2012
12:58 pm
ND might have upgraded the ACC 30-40 years ago. Not now.
Boise Dawg
September 12th, 2012
12:59 pm
While I see the benefits to the ACC here… I think they sold themselves short. I would be much more impressed with Swofford if he had gotten ND to officially join in football. ND was desparate to get out of what is left of the Big East and for some reason does not want to join the B1G
What would force ND to ever join the ACC in football now? The ACC underplayed their hand for sure, they should have forced the issue and told Notre Dame it was all or nothing….. that would have forced a decision between the B1G and the ACC. It might have taken another year or two, but I suspect they might have gone all-in with the ACC.
Now ND has the best of both worlds. Plenty of teams to schedule with, access to the ACC bowl games and no revenue sharing.
kerryb
September 12th, 2012
1:00 pm
JB
September 12th, 2012
12:49 pm
GTBob……….We both agree on that. I know PC and Western Carolina will be PO’ed. I wish the Dawgs would tone up their schedule but we’ll get ours in a couple of years when we rotate back to LSU,Bama, Arkansas on top of SC,Fla,AU and Tenn. Ouch.
_____________________________________________________________
Right now the Eastern side of the SEC is looking stronger than the Western side. In other words there is nothing wrong with UGA’s schedule. It’s still stronger than Tech’s.
Paul's got a small Johnson
September 12th, 2012
1:00 pm
Now look for FSU and Clemson to bail and head to the Big 12.
DunwoodyDawg
September 12th, 2012
1:01 pm
Seriously folks. Notre Dame is irrelevant. This just shows the desperation of the ACC and Notre Dame to matter in college football. Really, I don’t see the reason the Coaches Trophy isn’t just awarded at the end of the SEC CG.
hashbrown dwag
September 12th, 2012
1:01 pm
look for the acc to use notre dame’s addition to entice the final piece of the conference puzzle.
they will use it to get the best possible 16th member. when that happens look for notre dame to come on board as a full member of the confernence. fb included.
could pave the way for an expansion of tv in the acc to help create an acc network much like the sec and the bit ten have their own tv networks.
GT
September 12th, 2012
1:02 pm
Just picked up another major television market. The one advantage the ACC has, and in the long run it will pay off big dividends. You can sell the boonies so long before some of the city kids will want to play near their family and be in a larger audience of fans. The ACC gets lots of invitations now to events at the Georgia Dome solely because they have the local market, if they ever start playing good football the tide will turn even more in their favor. They can market this and a good education that more and more parents are looking for, for their kids.
Tyyyyyroooonnnneee Willingham
September 12th, 2012
1:02 pm
Speaking of jokes, I was one but I would never own up to it. See, it was the wind, the heat, the cold, and the fact that the other teams coaches were better.
cdpridg
September 12th, 2012
1:02 pm
something different to chuckle about today other than gt……Notre Dame…hahaha…ACC…Bwhahahaha!!!!
hashbrown dwag
September 12th, 2012
1:02 pm
would love for gt to become a permanent rivalry for the domers.
GTBob
September 12th, 2012
1:05 pm
Seriously folks. Notre Dame is irrelevant.
Notre Dame is one of the top 5 names in all of collegiate sports and they have an enormous following. Im not sure how you could call them irrelevant unless all you really consider is their recent football record.
kerryb
September 12th, 2012
1:05 pm
If ND was to join the ACC in football FSU would probably leave for the Big 12. They probably will anyway of ND does not. They know they would have a very good chance at one of the 4 NC playoff spots with Texas and Oklahoma in that conference. In the ACC it would be hard for them to get consideration.
kerryb
September 12th, 2012
1:07 pm
GTBob
September 12th, 2012
1:05 pm
Seriously folks. Notre Dame is irrelevant.
Notre Dame is one of the top 5 names in all of collegiate sports and they have an enormous following. Im not sure how you could call them irrelevant unless all you really consider is their recent football record.
_________________________________________________________________________
Names? Yea, name but not performance the last 20 years. They’ve only been in the top 10 maybe one time to finish the season the last 20 years.
BigTimeTECHFan
September 12th, 2012
1:08 pm
Tech is Awesome!
GTBob
September 12th, 2012
1:08 pm
Names? Yea, name but not performance the last 20 years. They’ve only been in the top 10 maybe one time to finish the season the last 20 years.
That doesn’t really matter that much here. Do you think we should have added Boise St instead of Notre Dame because they have a better recent football record?
Tyyyyyroooonnnneee Willingham
September 12th, 2012
1:08 pm
Who remembers the Reggie Bush Push?
kerryb
September 12th, 2012
1:10 pm
GTBob
September 12th, 2012
1:08 pm
Names? Yea, name but not performance the last 20 years. They’ve only been in the top 10 maybe one time to finish the season the last 20 years.
That doesn’t really matter that much here. Do you think we should have added Boise St instead of Notre Dame because they have a better recent football record?
_______________________________________________________________________
If we’re talking football the answer is …yes. ND is no longer an impressive football program. It’s now like adding Illinois to your conference.
Let's Laugh
September 12th, 2012
1:10 pm
I do. Who remember’s Push, Push, In the Bush……great song……and porn video.
Ron Zook
September 12th, 2012
1:11 pm
I resemble that remark.
Vulture
September 12th, 2012
1:11 pm
“A Notre Dame source said the program “absolutely” would have access to the ACC bowls going forward. That probably includes a shot at the Orange Bowl, even though the ACC champion would be on the other side of that bracket.”There’s no other way to create the bowl position,” a source said. “Whatever games they [ACC] have access to, those are now our options.”
http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/blog/dennis-dodd/20163664/on-the-brink-of-irrelevance-notre-dame-hooks-up-with-acc
GTville
September 12th, 2012
1:13 pm
True the ACC is not the SEC. Half the SEC is not the SEC and neither are the P12, B10, or B12. The upper half of the SEC is simply fantastic and has proved it. Quit comparing to the upper half of the SEC as nobody at this time compares. Compare everyone else.
IronJacket
September 12th, 2012
1:13 pm
West Virginia to opt out of Big 12 now? And jump ship to ACC….
Ekim
September 12th, 2012
1:16 pm
I was excited until I saw that it didn’t include football. Now I don’t care.
dawgfan
September 12th, 2012
1:16 pm
“Notre Dame is one of the top 5 names in all of collegiate sports and they have an enormous following.”
LOL @ GTBob. Their NBC ratings have been in the absolute crapper the last few years. Enormous following my arse. You can BS with the best of them GTBob.
Vulture
September 12th, 2012
1:16 pm
“Meanwhile, the ACC will be able to reopen its contract and renegotiate what was termed a “sizable bump” in its deal. Notre Dame has been the biggest prize in conference realignment.”
Call It Like It Is
September 12th, 2012
1:18 pm
Well to add for TV audience good move, to show the ACC is serious about good football bad move. The Irish have a cult like following, who really dont care if the team is any good, to which it hasnt been since 1988. I do have to say it does boggle the mind how every single Sat if the Irish are playing their on TV. You have to give them credit for that at least. They are a subpar team at best, but their on TV.
Devil's Advocate
September 12th, 2012
1:18 pm
You guys need to really let go of debating wins on blogs. None of you have anything to do with your team’s wins and losses. This is all about money and that is a topic we all influence with our TV viewership and ticket/merchandise purchases. ND could go 0-12 and still draw more revenue than most teams.