July 24, 2020 · 10:27 AM

What it means to be independent in the Year 2020

This is some deal Notre Dame has cut for itself.

Screenshot_2020-07-24 David Teel on Twitter Again pending presidential approval #NotreDame would be eligible for ACC champi[...]

All that and you get to keep your own TV contract, to boot.  Sweet!

21 Comments

Filed under ACC Football, Notre Dame's Faint Echoes

21 responses to “What it means to be independent in the Year 2020”

  1. Ran A
    July 24, 2020 at 10:37 AM

    It’s a weak conference – they’ll do anything to have another descent football team in their. Now, North Carolina and Miami and FSU could change that rather quickly.

    Big 10 has to be the dumbest conference out there. How could you not want ND as part of what you do?

    Then again, maybe ND is pimping themselves out. Who knows.

    Like

  2. siskey
    July 24, 2020 at 12:07 PM

    I guess the benefits (the ACC teams that get to host Notre Dame and do better at the gate in non “Rona” years and the team’s whos fanbases will travel to South Bend) outweighs the negatives, but it is a weird situation and the ACC should use this to make them become a full-time member.

    Liked by 1 person

  3. NotMyCrossToBear
    July 24, 2020 at 12:20 PM

    Why do the conferences let Notre Dame write their own rules? Honestly looking for an answer.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. Huntindawg
    July 24, 2020 at 12:39 PM

    A little off topic, but seems relevant to the discussion. This article popped up today: https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/cable-tv-decline-streaming-cord-cutting-1234710007/?utm_source=pocket-newtab.

    Talks about the decline of cable tv and cord-cutting. This stood out to me:

    “Some pundits believe that cable penetration will bottom out at around 30 million households — still a business, but no longer one with enough reach to justify pricey expenditures like sports.”

    “Eventually, the conglomerates with sports rights will either have to include a streaming component (adding NBA to HBO Max or NFL to Disney Plus, for example), or risk losing exclusivity as major leagues look to sell those streaming rights to a third party such as Google or Facebook.”

    So: College football might be exclusively a Showtime experience? Maybe Notre Dame only plays on Netflix? Interesting. I would hope at least it will dictate more compelling match-ups.

    Like

    • 69Dawg
      July 24, 2020 at 1:37 PM

      I agree, this could lead to so many different carriers that to follow the whole sport would be too pricey. Who is going to pay three or four different services for all of college football? SEC channel on one would insure the Southern football audience. I wouldn’t pay .10 for the B1G or Pac12.

      Liked by 1 person

  5. chuckdawg
    July 24, 2020 at 1:36 PM

    I would have enjoyed Notre Dame just being hung out to dry as they deserve. They should pay the price for keeping their independent status. And for what it’s worth I do have respect for them for keeping an independent status. I just want them to pay for it when it comes to not having a championship game and getting screwed on scheduling. Rather than everybody catering to the great Notre Dame

    Liked by 3 people

  6. tiredofidsearch
    July 24, 2020 at 3:26 PM

    Because at least currently (not considering corona) Notre Dame doesn’t need a conference. Knowing a bit about ND (dad went there, season tickets for 50+ years) part of the problem with ND fully joining a conference is they would lose a lot of their rivalries – USC (biggest), Michigan St. (actually older than Michigan), Navy (goes way back as well I think), Stanford, etc… Kind of hard to keep them if full fledged conference member. Their current ACC deal allows them to keep their rivalries and also their tv deal.
    ND fan base is different than a lot of schools. They are spread out all over the country, much more so than most schools.

    Like

    • Dylan Dreyer's Booty
      July 24, 2020 at 4:41 PM

      That is the dang truth right there, whether people like it or not. It is hard to pull that off, too. GT thought they could do it and gagged. And ND doesn’t have to be really good to have the following they have.

      Like

    • Got Cowdog
      July 24, 2020 at 5:57 PM

      Between the way their fans treated ours, Rudy, and the truth that id speaks it’s getting harder and harder to hate Notre Dame. Hell I don’t even really dislike them anymore.

      Like

      • 92 Grad
        July 24, 2020 at 6:34 PM

        And this is what makes CFB different. Fans, alumni, and followers that hold their ground. Embrace it, because they are trying to take it away with national coverage and all the playoff BS.

        Like

        • Got Cowdog
          July 24, 2020 at 10:26 PM

          We’re 3-0 against them. Their mascot is a pissed off midget. Pretty much every time the powers that be shove them into the playoffs they get their ass handed to them. And:
          I remember early in 1981 my old man and his tailgate buddies chanting “Hail Mary, full of grace…. Notre Dame’s in second place!!!”

          College football is still the best sport in the world.

          Like

  7. Mayor
    July 25, 2020 at 7:35 AM

    How stupid is the ACC to even let this be an issue? And why would Clemson and FSU ever stand for this? If this flies Clemson and FSU should get out of the ACC and join another conference. SEC maybe?

    Liked by 1 person

    • dawgtired
      July 25, 2020 at 8:10 AM

      I hold an attitude toward ND because they’ve survived this ‘independent’ status. I wanted them to have to join a conference or fall by the way. Now the ACC just works this deal and ND has the best of both worlds. I agree with you and hope this costs the ACC in some way. The conferences should leave ND out in the cold until they succumb.

      Like

  8. sniffer
    July 25, 2020 at 8:20 AM

    Speaking of ND, how do they get a pass on their nickname? Fighting….Irish? Is there a more insulting characterization?

    Like