Should Notre Dame Be Allowed To remain independent in College Football?

[Lavalulu]

With the 12 team CFP scheme (and perhaps 16 in the future) doesn’t this give Notre Dame Football a distinctly easier path to the CFP??

ND determines their own game schedule.  This is the only football team allowed to decide who their opponent will be every year.  ND will no longer be playing rival USC every year…but will continue to play against weaker rival Stanford every year, for example.

I’m not even going to go into ND’s exclusive deal with NBC.

I just think ND, by having the ability to give itself a favorable schedule every year, now has an easy path EVERY YEAR because of the 12 team CFP scheme.

I don’t think ND could play in the SEC and survive to compete in CFP…

yes, it’s legal, but is it fair???

[Thanos72]

Only concerned with Texas. We chose to join a tough league so now we need to win it. We do, we’re in. 

[Oldest Horn]

If they can pull it off economics wise, why not?

[Gerry Hamilton]

I have been saying no. Don't think they should be, but doesn't mean they won't remain independent. 

[GDI]

Mark me down as being against it.  

I'm afraid SOS is going to mean less & less with the expanded schedule and there is already talk of going to 16.  I would rather have 8,  but good luck with that happening.

Make 'em play a conference schedule.   

[TheContractor12]

SOS needs to be a part of the process. If it is then yes but ND has an easier schedule than many teams. As it it right now, not at all. They have the easiest path the  playoffs. NO. 

[Hashtag]

1 hour ago, Gerry Hamilton said:

I have been saying no. Don't think they should be, but doesn't mean they won't remain independent. 

For the immediate future I agree but we all know where CFB is going and they will be forced too soon enough. 

[Aspann85]

7 hours ago, Lavalulu said:

With the 12 team CFP scheme (and perhaps 16 in the future) doesn’t this give Notre Dame Football a distinctly easier path to the CFP??

ND determines their own game schedule.  This is the only football team allowed to decide who their opponent will be every year.  ND will no longer be playing rival USC every year…but will continue to play against weaker rival Stanford every year, for example.

I’m not even going to go into ND’s exclusive deal with NBC.

I just think ND, by having the ability to give itself a favorable schedule every year, now has an easy path EVERY YEAR because of the 12 team CFP scheme.

I don’t think ND could play in the SEC and survive to compete in CFP…

yes, it’s legal, but is it fair???

They just added a 10 year agreement with Clemson who is light years beyond USC over the last decade.

[Dallas90]

I don't like them and I don't like the unnecessary complication they always seem to pose by being an independent, but I can't say I'm in favor of forcing them to join a conference. A patsy schedule is its own penalty in several ways.

[CJ Vogel]

Get 'em in a conference. It's time.

[qaertyisthatdude]

3 hours ago, Thanos72 said:

Only concerned with Texas. We chose to join a tough league so now we need to win it. We do, we’re in. 

Notre Dame employs potentially Texas' next HC if Sark goes to the NFL in a few years and the timing is right.  You never know.

[GoHorns1]

No, ND needs to play by the rules as everyone else and join one of the Power 4 conferences. ND is member of the ACC in all sports except football.

[Thanos72]

If Texas were independent, none of you would want to be forced into a conference. That’s not why I don’t care what ND does. At some point, an overly weak schedule will have a negative impact as someone said. I can’t see a world where a sec team has 1 loss and a weakly scheduled undefeated ND is chosen over them especially if the loss was to a strong opponent. Or if it did happen, that would be the rock that corrects the ripple. 
 

This is a dye in wool May topic. 🤘🏽

Edited 4 hours ago by Thanos72

[Jarveaux]

4 hours ago, Gerry Hamilton said:

I have been saying no. Don't think they should be, but doesn't mean they won't remain independent. 

I honestly don’t believe they should be independent. If ND remains independent who monitors there nil ? They don’t have to answer for their potential future misdeeds. 

[Tuco Ramirez]

The SEC and B1G need to mandate a requirement for SOS in determining playoff eligibility with a team losing a conference championship given priority over a team that doesn’t even play in one. SOS should also have priority over polls voted on by idiot sportswriters. That’ll have ND on the outside looking in in many cases. They’ll self correct after they’ve been snubbed a few times. 

[Oldest Horn]

25 minutes ago, Jarveaux said:

I honestly don’t believe they should be independent. If ND remains independent who monitors there nil ? They don’t have to answer for their potential future misdeeds. 

That would imply each conference governs itself. No way that happens.

[Jarveaux]

7 minutes ago, Oldest Horn said:

That would imply each conference governs itself. No way that happens.

Never say never .

[dentonhorn]

Yes but I am old and preferred the old days better than this stuff. PennState used to independent too and I thought it was kind of cool. 

[Hornmatic]

12 minutes ago, dentonhorn said:

Yes but I am old and preferred the old days better than this stuff. PennState used to independent too and I thought it was kind of cool. 

Yep, Miami, FSU, BYU too. I’m in favor of more independents. 
 

Too much whinging on here. 

Edited 3 hours ago by Hornmatic

[Oldest Horn]

1 hour ago, Jarveaux said:

Never say never .

You really think the B10 and SEC, just to name two, will trust each other to self enforce?

[Roysterr]

They lost to a horrible team at home and still made it in last year.

[Ace Recruiter]

Fair? No, but when is life fair? 

I think they should be in a conference, but them not having the ability to get a 1st round bye makes it a bit better.

[CHorn427]

I'm alright with it. Tough competition in the regular season prepares you for the postseason. Few to zero teams win national titles without being challenged during the regular season. If ND isn't adequately challenged, they will eventually flame out in the post season. 

[Thanos72]

2 hours ago, Roysterr said:

They lost to a horrible team at home and still made it in last year.

You want to fix the committee, not the independent status. The right committee handles anyone’s weak schedule.