So, they're (like) dating or something...
It's not a full-blown relationship, but the two are taking some time together as a group to see what's what...
In every sport BUT football and hockey, it looks like the Fighting Irish are going to play five games in football against Atlantic and Coastal schools. But we don't know who their opponents are going to be and if they're locked in or if they're rotating so all conference members can get their fill of an Irish home date...
This makes sense... you're hanging out at the pool, but you only need to go in during the adult swim for the foreseeable future.
Notre Dame is a brand and it's not damaged by all of the Global Armageddon we talk about every football off-season. And with schools going for money grabs (because we all know that's what they are), the Irish needed some kind of stability in their schedule.
They get their A-Cee-Cee games plus they can keep their road trips to the west coast, their rivalry games with the Big 10/12 schools, and the service academies.
The HQ gets it completely...
“We have monitored the changing conference landscape for many months and have concluded that moving to the ACC is the best course of action for us,” AD Jack Swarbrick said. “This will enable us to maintain our historic independence in football, join in the ACC’s non-BCS bowl package, and provide a new and extremely competitive home for our other sports.
“We are immensely grateful to the members of the Big East, which has been a wonderful home for us the past 17 years. We also think that the conference has a strong future under the leadership of its new commissioner, Mike Aresco.”
“The ACC was founded on the cornerstones of balancing academics, athletics and integrity,” said Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner John Swofford. “Our partnership with Notre Dame only strengthens this long-standing commitment. Notre Dame enhances the league’s unique blend of public and private institutions that are international in scope. The collective alumni and fan bases cover the entire country with exceptionally strong roots up and down the Atlantic Coast. This is a terrific milestone in the evolution of the ACC and showcases tremendous solidarity and vision by our Council of Presidents.”
Oh, and if you want to leave the A-Cee-Cee now...???
It's $50-million...
Good luck with that...
Just think... we might even get one of these down the line...
((HT: NBC Sports/youtube))
PM UPDATE: Here's Brian Kelly on the kinda-shift...
((HT: UND.com/youtube))
No comments:
Post a Comment