Bobref

Perhaps you’re seeing double for some reason. 🤣

Perhaps you aren’t aware that, at Notre Dame, Athletic Dept. revenue doesn’t stay in the Athletic Department. It goes to the University’s General Fund where it is distributed to many worthwhile programs, such as financial aid for minority students. Drop football, or dramatically reduce revenue, and those programs suffer.

Not sure I agree with everything in the article, but it’s nice to see. https://www.barstoolsports.com/blog/3477297/in-the-end-notre-dame-is-the-only-major-football-institution-with-any-integrity In The End, Notre Dame Is The Only Major Football Institution With Any Integrity Every single thing we love about College Football has been destroyed by the almighty dollar. The pageantry, the tradition, the regionality, the rivalries, the fact that conference championship was possible and everything for schools like Iowa, Washington State, Oregon State, Purdue, Texas Tech. One magical season for a mid-tier program could sustain a fan base for a generation. Those dream seasons are dead because Purdue might be able to put it all together to win a BigTen league in a year where they catch Michigan and Ohio State in a down year, but the idea that they could somehow finish ahead of Michigan, Ohio State, USC, and Oregon feels impossible. And yet it is still better to be Purdue than Cal, Oregon State, or Washington State today. All of these schools are racing to get the biggest cash grab possible by leaving 150+ years of tradition in the trash while also maintaining their non-profit tax exempt status. Joke. In the face of all of that there was one single school that said NO. We will not sell our soul, our mission, our identity, or our fans out for a few extra dollars. That hero who wanted to preserve college football and prevent it from becoming just a semi-amateur minor league NFL is Notre Dame. Every single one of these mega conferences has approached Notre Dame over the years. The BigTen now makes more sense than ever because ND's primary rival, USC, is now somehow a midwestern school. Even with the promise of HUGE money, bigger money than they could get on their own, and the preservation of their national schedule, Notre Dame still said no. Notre Dame will remain independent. They will remain Notre Dame. They will play who they want and when they want. They will keep their integrity because they know an extra few million bucks a year doesn't really change anything for the positive. How much would Oregon fans pay per year to have a chance at a conference title and an annual game against Oregon State? Probably not worth it to the average fan an alumni. Worth millions to the administration who will line their own pockets with the extra cash though. I remember that phrase "too big to fail" from the 2008 financial crisis. I also think there is an idea that some things are so big that they have to fail. It's impossible to keep connection to what was special to begin with. Ultimately, I think we will see a decline in interest in college football. There's a reason why it's not as popular in the Northeast. The Northeast never had an real football tradition. No regional rivalries. No real conference. Now that is the case for most places. I think you'll see decline in interest of the schools that got left behind and then also the schools that will inevitably be left at the bottom of these leagues every year. It might take a generation for those predictions to come through, but college football won't have the same grip on America that it used to. People have been hating on Notre Dame for my entire life. They have probably been hating on them since Knute Rockne invented the forward pass. People can continue to hate them because that is what college football should be about, but they can't deny that ND recognizes that their program is more than just a money making machine. That their tradition can't simply be bought at this point. Somethings shouldn't change and bigger/more isn't always better. Notre Dame refuses to go with the flow and follow the money and everyone should respect them for that

Not sure I agree with everything in the article, but it’s nice to see. https://www.barstoolsports.com/blog/3477297/in-the-end-notre-dame-is-the-only-major-football-institution-with-any-integrity In The End, Notre Dame Is The Only Major Football Institution With Any Integrity Every single thing we love about College Football has been destroyed by the almighty dollar. The pageantry, the tradition, the regionality, the rivalries, the fact that conference championship was possible and everything for schools like Iowa, Washington State, Oregon State, Purdue, Texas Tech. One magical season for a mid-tier program could sustain a fan base for a generation. Those dream seasons are dead because Purdue might be able to put it all together to win a BigTen league in a year where they catch Michigan and Ohio State in a down year, but the idea that they could somehow finish ahead of Michigan, Ohio State, USC, and Oregon feels impossible. And yet it is still better to be Purdue than Cal, Oregon State, or Washington State today. All of these schools are racing to get the biggest cash grab possible by leaving 150+ years of tradition in the trash while also maintaining their non-profit tax exempt status. Joke. In the face of all of that there was one single school that said NO. We will not sell our soul, our mission, our identity, or our fans out for a few extra dollars. That hero who wanted to preserve college football and prevent it from becoming just a semi-amateur minor league NFL is Notre Dame. Every single one of these mega conferences has approached Notre Dame over the years. The BigTen now makes more sense than ever because ND's primary rival, USC, is now somehow a midwestern school. Even with the promise of HUGE money, bigger money than they could get on their own, and the preservation of their national schedule, Notre Dame still said no. Notre Dame will remain independent. They will remain Notre Dame. They will play who they want and when they want. They will keep their integrity because they know an extra few million bucks a year doesn't really change anything for the positive. How much would Oregon fans pay per year to have a chance at a conference title and an annual game against Oregon State? Probably not worth it to the average fan an alumni. Worth millions to the administration who will line their own pockets with the extra cash though. I remember that phrase "too big to fail" from the 2008 financial crisis. I also think there is an idea that some things are so big that they have to fail. It's impossible to keep connection to what was special to begin with. Ultimately, I think we will see a decline in interest in college football. There's a reason why it's not as popular in the Northeast. The Northeast never had an real football tradition. No regional rivalries. No real conference. Now that is the case for most places. I think you'll see decline in interest of the schools that got left behind and then also the schools that will inevitably be left at the bottom of these leagues every year. It might take a generation for those predictions to come through, but college football won't have the same grip on America that it used to. People have been hating on Notre Dame for my entire life. They have probably been hating on them since Knute Rockne invented the forward pass. People can continue to hate them because that is what college football should be about, but they can't deny that ND recognizes that their program is more than just a money making machine. That their tradition can't simply be bought at this point. Somethings shouldn't change and bigger/more isn't always better. Notre Dame refuses to go with the flow and follow the money and everyone should respect them for that

That assumes there’s going to be a PAC-12 to furnish an opponent.

Unlikely … since Jack Swarbrick’s hand-picked successor is former head of NBC Sports.

Seems like the Irish are standing pat. https://fanrecap.com/notre-dame-wont-change-view-on-independence-if-big-ten-expands-further-per-report/

It’s solely based on what will drive eyeballs to TV sets.

Get that head in front!

Under the circumstances, that’s good enough for me.

My sentiments exactly.

It’s a start. 😉

Good. Now I don’t have to retire my Under Armour stuff. https://www.si.com/college/notredame/football/notre-dame-to-resign-with-under-armour Notre Dame To Resign With Under Armour According to Yahoo Sports, Notre Dame is set to resign with Under Armour According to Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports, Notre Dame is set to resign with Under Armour as its apparel provider. If what Dellenger turns out to be true, Notre Dame will once again have the richest apparel deal in college sports. The deal is reported to be a 10-year contract worth over $10 million per year. Dellenger noted that if his intel is correct, it would vault Notre Dame to the top of the list in terms of apparel dollars. All the other deals mentioned by Dellenger - including Ohio State, Texas, Michigan, Nebraska, Louisville and Kansas were either Nike or Adidas schools. Notre Dame previously signed with Under Armour back in 2014 on a 10-year, $90-million dollar deal that at the time was the biggest in college sports. Notre Dame hit the open market in recent months and reportedly received offers from Under Armour, Nike (and Jordan Brand), and Adidas. Dellenger wrote in his feature something that Irish Breakdown had also been told this summer, which is the Under Armour offer was significantly higher than what Nike and Adidas offered to get the Irish to come over to their brands. Here is what Dellenger wrote about how these apparel deals work: "Apparel deals are revenue-generating giants for some of the most elite college athletic departments. In normal cases, apparel companies pay an annual licensing fee ranging from $5-10 million in cash for some of the powerhouses in college football and men’s basketball. In some deals, the school receives a cut of royalties from merchandise sales (usually 10-15%). Most agreements require the company to outfit that school’s athletic teams with $2-5 million in gear each year, as well as discounts in merchandise purchases." - Ross Dellenger

For those out there who are Latin-challenged: “The thing speaks for itself.”

So, Fall Camp is underway at ND, like most schools. But that’s not the only big thing going on now on campus. Re-gilding Our Lady.

This would register about 8.5 on the Richter Scale. https://athlonsports.com/college-football/big-ten-expansion-rumors-clemson-florida-state-oregon-washington Big Ten Rumored To Be Adding Four Prominent Schools This Week Washington, Oregon, Florida State and Clemson.

This is a real tough one for me … and I suspect a lot of others. Hard for me to see myself rooting for Khaki Man. But, on the other hand, the NCAA is such an obvious villain.

So, what do you think will be the next chapter in this drama? Not what you want to happen, but what you think will actually take place.

So, it now comes out that there is a “culture of hazing” in Northwestern athletics that goes beyond the football program. A 5th lawsuit has been filed by a former football player. Somebody want to explain how Derrick Gragg still has a job?

Colorado votes to leave the PAC 12 for the Big 12 after this coming season. Would the last one out of the PAC 12 please turn out the lights? https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/38083687/colorado-board-formalizes-move-pac-12-big-12

Hell has indeed frozen over. Paul Finebaum defending Harbaugh. 🤣😂 https://fanrumor.com/paul-finebaums-shocking-take-on-the-ncaa-vs-jim-harbaugh-war/

😵‍💫

The official report lists it as a “calf strain.” But we all remember Kevin Durant’s calf strain in the playoffs a few years ago.

And that’s why anecdotal evidence that Guardian caps reduce concussions can never be considered conclusive. There is no way to isolate them as a cause, separate from improved coaching technique, greater awareness in players, and other factors.

I have long been an opponent of term limits. I’m a firm believer in Rousseau’s maxim “You get the government you deserve.” Unfortunately, the incumbents have so rigged the system that they have a huge electoral advantage over anyone trying to unseat them. So, reluctantly, I have come around in favor of term limits for Congress, fully realizing some good people may be thrown out with the bath water.