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Notre Dame 2023


Bobref

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5 minutes ago, US31 said:

Don’t assume I think it’s a bad thing at all….but I think it’s hypocritical to claim you are serving both goals.

I would agree that maintaining the integrity of an academic institution and winning a national championship don't go hand in hand. But they've proved they can play in a big payout game and still hold onto their academic reputation. 

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2 hours ago, BTF said:

I'm actually good with a bunch of kids who can coherently answer a question in the post game interviews. And Freeman did ink twenty 4-star players. Smart kid + 4-star athlete = playoff opportunity/big payout game. I'm not sure Notre Dame is willing to lower their standard to win the whole thing. They still consider themselves an academic university. After all, it is college. 

They will never do that.

1 hour ago, US31 said:

Don’t assume I think it’s a bad thing at all….but I think it’s hypocritical to claim you are serving both goals.

“A man’s reach should exceed his grasp … or what’s a heaven for?”

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2 hours ago, BTF said:

Figuring out how to replace Tommy Rees is small potatoes compared to the dilemma of replacing Harry Hiestand.

If the Irish do land Andy Ludwig, then the joke is on Alabama. 

I would have to agree wholeheartedly.  Harry is a rock, but it's sort of strange that he waited so long to make the decision to retire.  I'm sure he has good reasons, and wanting to watch his kids play is a legitimate reason for his retirement.  I wish him good luck and also hope the Irish can find an adequate replacement.  I'm sure they will.

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9 hours ago, temptation said:

Ludwig says no thanks…getting a bit comical at this point.

I thought I heard that Rees made 2.5m last year as NDs OC. Ludwig can’t or won’t come because of his buyout from Utah.  So, and maybe i understand this wrong, the Irish are late to the NIL game and won’t pony up for assistant coaches. Not a great recipe for success in this day and age.  
 

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FYI (and was curious) but I just read Ludwig’s buyout is 2.8 million from Utah.  Guess it’s ok to pay Charlie Weis to stay away for 10 years or whatever it was but not pay that one lump sum to get the guy you wanted to run the current offense. A bit frustrating to say the least and more importantly where do they turn now? 

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13 hours ago, temptation said:

Ludwig says no thanks…getting a bit comical at this point.

What about sports isn't comical anymore?

Just now, BTF said:

What about sports isn't comical anymore?

I retract. There is still some purity left in high school game. The next two levels become a clown show. 

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2 hours ago, BTF said:

What about sports isn't comical anymore?

I retract. There is still some purity left in high school game. The next two levels become a clown show. 

Just comical from afar and without a dog in the fight that it’s taken this long for ND to get their guy.

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2 hours ago, temptation said:

Just comical from afar and without a dog in the fight that it’s taken this long for ND to get their guy.

People like to find a reason to pick on the Irish. They'll find someone. Still one of the Top 10 jobs in the country. 

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15 minutes ago, BTF said:

People like to find a reason to pick on the Irish. They'll find someone. Still one of the Top 10 jobs in the country. 

Furthermore, none of this has impacted incoming recruits, notably Sam Hartman and CJ Carr. Kids seem to be drawn to Marcus Freeman. Future looks bright. 

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Turns out Andy Ludwig accepted the position, then ND refused to pay the 2.8m buyout. So the laughable part (Temp)? It's not that high profile coaches don't want the position, as you were suggesting. It's that ND is refusing to pay what it takes to get them there. Are coordinators a dime a dozen? Only as good as their head coach allows them to be? Maybe that's what the ND administration thinks. Maybe ND's recent success had more to do with having arguably the best coach in the country stick around for a decade and not necessarily the idea that they are a strong program like they were pre 90's. I guess we'll find out how good of a coach Freeman is now. 

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3 hours ago, BTF said:

Turns out Andy Ludwig accepted the position, then ND refused to pay the 2.8m buyout. So the laughable part (Temp)? It's not that high profile coaches don't want the position, as you were suggesting. It's that ND is refusing to pay what it takes to get them there. Are coordinators a dime a dozen? Only as good as their head coach allows them to be? Maybe that's what the ND administration thinks. Maybe ND's recent success had more to do with having arguably the best coach in the country stick around for a decade and not necessarily the idea that they are a strong program like they were pre 90's. I guess we'll find out how good of a coach Freeman is now. 

Yikes.  I can relate.

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49 minutes ago, BTF said:

Good coaches seem to maintain success regardless of who their coordinators are. Agree or disagree? 

Agree for the most part.  But to not make money consistent with the market AND have tighter recruiting restrictions, I am not so sure the job is desirable as you think.

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49 minutes ago, temptation said:

Agree for the most part.  But to not make money consistent with the market AND have tighter recruiting restrictions, I am not so sure the job is desirable as you think.

If best recruits + highest pay = most desirable job, then yeah, Notre Dame probably ranks somewhere around 10-15. But that's just 75% of the coaches out there. The other 25% percent might look at other things, like the moral integrity of a program. 

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2 hours ago, BTF said:

If best recruits + highest pay = most desirable job, then yeah, Notre Dame probably ranks somewhere around 10-15. But that's just 75% of the coaches out there. The other 25% percent might look at other things, like the moral integrity of a program. 

Yeah, I got a wake up call in the late 2000s/early 2010s about how desirable my favorite programs head coaching job was.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 1 month later...

Some very interesting food for thought here.

https://fightingirishwire.usatoday.com/lists/notre-dame-tv-contract-nbc-college-football-tv-deals/

Notre Dame Football on NBC: Soon a thing of the past?

“The only constant is change” is probably a phrase you’ve heard many times in your life. This saying also applies to football and never more so than the present. Big changes like expanding the playoff, legalizing NIL, teams moving to different conferences and the no sit-out transfer rule are reshaping the game.

Along with these on-field alterations, what goes on off the field is also changing. Massive TV deals are being made, and these deals are the financial engines that drive college football by guaranteeing revenue to each school regardless of on-field performance. Notre Dame’s longstanding deal with NBC is set to expire after 2024 and much negotiating is needed regarding what the future may hold in this regard.

Has the Notre Dame / NBC relationship run its’ course? Let’s examine this topic.

The NBC Deal Doesn't Represent What It Used To

Notre Dame’s NBC deal used to be one that provoked envy and jealousy among other fan bases due to the notion that every Notre Dame home game was on TV on NBC, guaranteed, and their team’s games weren’t. Just ask Randy Moss who openly expressed interest in playing for the Irish for this exact reason. Being seen on TV nationally every week.

The reality is this exposure isn’t what it used to be. Now, teams I’ve barely heard of have their games played live on channels I’ve barely heard of. It’s no longer a “big deal” that the Irish have this deal in place since everybody’s games are live in the modern era. This realization and acceptance of it can open new opportunities.

The Product Itself Is Lacking

It feels to me as though Notre Dame is not being treated as a top priority by NBC. Evidence of this is the lack of any power presence whatsoever in the booth by having a star announcer’s child announcing the games which gives them no gravitas at all and forcing Irish fans to log onto a streaming app for an actual game.

Both of these examples come off as “small timey” to me and, quite frankly, Notre Dame deserves better. Should NBC not want to negotiate a new contract in good faith, the Irish should look elsewhere.

The Numbers Gap

In my opinion, the main objective of Notre Dame’s upcoming TV deal negotiations is to ensure the deal it secures allows it to financially compete with the Power Five conference deals. Seems simple enough in concept, but practically the numbers are jarring.

Currently, Notre Dame receives $22 million / year from NBC. For comparison, the new Big Ten deal will be expected to pay out around 90 million per year/ per team in the future regardless of on-field performance. Something must give. Notre Dame cannot afford to make 70 million less than other teams each year. It will simply fall so far behind in terms of resources that it will not be able to compete.

Reports indicate Notre Dame is seeking 75 million/year from NBC, which would place them at least “in the ballpark” to the Power Five conference deals. What is NBC’s position regarding this number? Nobody knows presently.

Other Options

Should Notre Dame look into partnering with entities other than NBC, it  should have options. What are FOX, CBS or even ESPN’s appetites for Irish Football? I’d be very interested in knowing.

What about “shoulder programming” where Notre Dame can have some kind of shared revenue deal blended in with a conference agreement with a certain channel? Notre Dame pulls TV ratings. It always has and always will. This should appeal to all even potentially interested suitors.

In Conclusion

This entire discussion exists due to Notre Dame’s independence, which the institution and I value dearly. To ensure the Irish can remain viable without joining a conference full time it must accomplish two things:

Ensure independent status does not hold the Irish back from expanded playoff entry. It seems this issue has been handled as the Irish will be eligible but cannot have a first-round bye as an “independence tax.”

The TV deal must keep it within reach of the conference deals financially.

Notre Dame has brand power. It should wield it proudly as it negotiates and explores many options to find the best dynamic for the Irish in the modern era.

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