The Big Ten could also potentially take their pick from the unstable ACC. The Big Ten will likely prioritize Oregon and Washington. While both are viable academically, their football programs have underachieved in recent years and may not be as attractive to television networks. A primarily Midwest conference could come to dominate the West Coast.ĭennis Dodd of CBS Sports reported that the Big Ten is additionally considering the University of California-Berkeley and Stanford University as potential members. The Big Ten can expand their breadth of influence even wider. Washington and Oregon can invest in a true powerhouse conference instead of sinking with the ship that is the Pac-12. These are consistent football programs that will create attractive matchups with other Big Ten schools - garnering higher ratings and revenue. Perhaps most importantly for realignment, they were ranked as top 25 football programs. Oregon and Washington are recognizable brands with passionate fanbases, as both finished within the top 20 in the viewership metric. Oregon was ranked 22, third in the Pac-12. Of the remaining Pac-12 teams - not counting USC and UCLA - Washington finished highest, ranked at 15. Sports Illustrated's Pat Forde ranked all Power Five schools based on “desirability” - a mixture of sports and academic rankings, viewership, revenue and more. Of the remaining Pac-12 schools, the University of Oregon and University of Washington are perhaps the two biggest targets. There’s been talks of a merger with the Big 12, although those rumors will reportedly not materialize. They lost two of their biggest brands: USC and UCLA. Yet if the Big Ten and SEC become too rich and powerful, Notre Dame could fall behind and become desperate for a bigger paycheck. If Notre Dame can continue to contend for the college football playoff and remain financially viable, they’ll see no reason to scramble and join a conference. Many Irish decision-makers and fans take pride in their independent status. Along with Michigan, the Big Ten will be home to two of Notre Dame’s biggest rivals after USC arrives in 2024. Indiana is already home to two other Big Ten universities. Notre Dame likely shares these values, given their supreme academic standing. The Big Ten’s academic reputation was an important factor in USC and UCLA’s decision to join the conference. Regardless, the Big Ten should show maximum interest in any sort of relationship with the Irish. It wouldn’t be nearly the same as becoming a member, but could indicate the beginning of a future partnership. NBC is only willing to offer the significant raise if the Irish seek “shoulder programming” from a major conference. Notre Dame currently earns $22 million annually from their contract. Yet CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd recently reported that the Irish are looking for $75 million annually from their broadcasting partner NBC to remain independent. The Fighting Irish have remained tight-lipped amid the realignment chaos. Their football team even joined the conference during the shortened 2020 season.īut, Notre Dame is too good of a program to invest in a conference that isn’t the Big Ten or SEC. Most of Notre Dame’s sports - except football - belong to the ACC. The Fighting Irish are one of the biggest brands in all of college sports. On top of expanding westward, they’re on the cusp of an alleged $1 billion contract with Fox. Luckily for Big Ten schools, the conference seems to be in a position of power. It will likely accelerate - sooner rather than later. “The organizations or conferences that are going to come out of this in a really good position are those that are able to adapt and be nimble,” Warren continued. “The organizations, the entities and the people who are going to be able to thrive in a disruptive environment are those who embrace being comfortable in an uncomfortable situation. “I wasn’t going to come into saying, ‘Oh, well, this is the way it’s been,’” Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren said regarding the USC/UCLA announcement. Teams in the Midwest play other Midwest teams. Teams on the West Coast have always played other teams on the West Coast. Nobody ever imagined a world in which Los Angeles schools would join the Big Ten. But the nature of this move felt different than the conference shake-ups in recent memory. Just last year, Oklahoma and Texas accepted an invitation to join the SEC in 2025. Realignment isn’t a new concept in college sports.
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