If Notre Dame were a contender could they remain independent?

[Bulldog Bruce]

I know they have this new deal with the ACC for 5 games a year, but all that talk made me think about Notre Dame scheduling. Would good teams from these large major conferences agree to play Notre Dame if they thought they would get beat? Especially if the big conferences add another in conference game.

I think right now Notre Dame is a good ooc opponent for the big boys because it has prestige without any real danger. But if they become a top tier team again, I bet some of their regular opponents will find a reason to drop that game. And if enough of the big boys avoided them, would they be in a Boise State type situation and have to actually join a big time conference?

 

[Todd4State]

If they were a contender, I think they could remain independent as long as the BCS allows them to have a tie in. USC will always play them. Michigan will play them. The service academies and BYU- they would play them.

Their problem is everyone else is in a conference and has to play conference games- and they play conference games late in the year- and it's hard to schedule ND unless it's early for a lot of teams.

Notre Dame's TV deal keeps them afloat as well- that is the main thing that is keeping them independent as much as anything.

 

[QuaoarsKing]

Programs like LSU and Oregon have been pretty fearless in scheduling, so I'm sure Notre Dame could add those if they wanted. If ND somehow beat those two, plus USC, Michigan, Michigan State, and Stanford (yearly rivalries), that would propel them into the playoff even if they had to fill out their schedule with a couple of MAC teams.

 

[DAWG61]

They have 5 games that are locked in every year. Michigan, Michigan State, USC, Navy and Stanford but they've also created a rivalry with Purdue so I think they'll start rotating the 3 big 10 games. Then you have the 5 guaranteed ACC games. With 2 of these being permanent opponents Pittsburg and Boston College and then 3 rotating games amongst the other 12 ACC members. Leaving Notre Dame only 2 games to fill so no they will never have a problem staying independent now that they just locked up 5 games. This helps ease scheduling for them tremendously. With their last 2 games it'd be nice to see ND schedule a top tier SEC, Big12 team and/or Ohio State, Oregon, Wisconsin.