![]() ![]() Indeed, when the COVID-19 pandemic annihilated schedules across the country last season, and Notre Dame needed a safe landing spot, the ACC welcomed the Irish with open arms. "They're the only big prize out there."Īs it stands, the ACC is already home for all of Notre Dame's Olympic sports, and that contract - which runs through 2036, in conjunction with the league's TV deal - requires that, should the Irish ever want to join a conference in football, too, it has to be the ACC or the school would face a stiff financial penalty in excess of $150 million. ![]() "Notre Dame adds real value," one administrator said. Money aside, the allure of a mega-conference just a tier behind the NFL would give the SEC a massive recruiting advantage over its neighbor, too. Already as a league, the SEC had $721M in revenue to the ACC's $497.2M. The new-look SEC, which shares a footprint with the ACC, could potentially earn double the ACC's per-school distribution - the ACC distributed $32.3M/team last year while the SEC distributed $43.7M/team, but the SEC will earn more with new ESPN contract, so with addition of Texas and Oklahoma, there's thought that new money could exceed $70M down the road. Now that Texas and Oklahoma are poised to join the SEC, adding to that league's already daunting roster, the pressure for the ACC to lure the Fighting Irish is greater than ever. Who knows where the future's going to go? I love the schools we have, but you always have to be ready to add." "They know the ACC's interest," new ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said at the ACC's kickoff event last week, just hours before news of Texas' and Oklahoma's interest in the SEC began to leak. The team ACC folks really want, the team the league has pined after for a decade, is Notre Dame. But the Longhorns were always the second option. Alas, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey moved quicker. Other changes would be incremental, but adding a brand name to the league could generate a massive influx of revenue.Ī few of the league's ADs, mere months ago, wondered if perhaps Texas could be the answer to their league's problems. The only real answer, several athletic directors said at the time, was expansion. Notre Dame, college football realignment and the power of independenceĬollege Football, Notre Dame Fighting Irishīefore Texas and Oklahoma upended the college football world last week, the ACC was already thinking about how it might secure a new, more lucrative TV deal. You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browser ![]()
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