What USC/UCLA move to Big Ten means for Notre Dame's independence

The move USC and UCLA are making from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten will have major ramifications for college sports. Money involved in media rights could lead to more decisions like what the Trojans and Bruins made yesterday or that Texas and Oklahoma made to join the SEC. With that said, these schools will all have to work through the legal process of switching conferences. This leaves one school in a particularly interesting spot with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Although they play almost all their sports in the ACC, Notre Dame’s football and hockey teams are independent. That gives them the opportunity to officially choose a conference by relinquishing that independence. ESPN’s Heather Dinich and Paul Finebaum joined ‘Get Up’ this morning to discuss the possibility of the Fighting Irish being the next domino to fall. Dinich said while it would take some work past the ACC, they’re tuned in to what’s going on around them.

“As long as Notre Dame’s other sports continue to remain in the ACC, Notre Dame, if it ever wanted to join another conference, would be contractually obligated to join the ACC. If Notre Dame were to withdraw from the ACC, it’s football team could play wherever it wants,” said Dinich. “It would have to pay an exit fee (and) a media rights fee because they sold their TV rights to the ACC. The question is if everybody else is getting richer, does that make them reconsider? You can bet they’re paying attention to the Big Ten TV deal like everybody else.”

Dinich believes a handful of objects could lead Notre Dame AD Jack Swarbrick to reconsider their position. Based on her discussions, at least two are currently in the works after USC and UCLA’s shift.

“Jack Swarbrick told me this summer that there are three reasons why (Notre Dame) would consider relinquishing their independence,” she said. “One is the loss of a committed broadcast partner. One is a loss of a fair route to the postseason. The third is such an adverse financial consequence that they would have to reconsider.”

The effects of Notre Dame officially choosing a conference in this arms race could be widespread. It would only make these improving conferences with the SEC and Big Ten better. In Finebaum’s eyes, it could also spell the end of the ACC as we know it.

“That’s the one school everybody wants, the big whale that all the conferences have been going after. The ACC is desperate now to convince Notre Dame once and for all to join the league,” said Finebaum. “If they fail, the ACC will almost cease to exist. Then does Notre Dame stay independent or does (it) go to either the Big Ten or the SEC? I think everything is currently in play right now.”