As the Big Ten and SEC grow, Notre Dame remains the last iconic college football brand without a home.
And according to FS1 radio host Colin Cowherd, for college football to avoid falling victim to being too regional, the Fighting Irish joining the Big Ten would be massive for the sport.
“College football needs a testosterone shot in the arm,” Cowherd said. USC and UCLA to the Big Ten help. Notre Dame would be B-12 times 10.”
Academically and geographically, Big Ten fits. … Notre Dame is the last great brand in college not in one of the two conferences [B1G and SEC]. If Notre Dame joins the Big Ten – college football has a “big game” problem, there’s not enough good big games for TV.
… So many Saturday’s we’re sitting around sort of waiting for the big game at night. But the Big Ten airs its games early. If Notre Dame was included in the Big Ten tomorrow, [it creates 9 to 10 outstanding rivalries within the conference]. People love tradition, you know what the tradition has been the last in college football? That an SEC team will get to the national championship game and two out of three years win it.
Most see the Notre Dame situation going one of three ways:
• Join the Big Ten and end independence
• Join the ACC which ND’s programs already have ties to
• Or stay independent and try to find a way into an expanded College Football Playoff while retaining their NBC television contract.
Notre Dame still has another summer before it has to make a decision, and a lot can happen between now and then. But some believe their current model isn’t sustainable and the school will eventually need a conference alignment.
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