Yea this true but ND is like the mythological “Moby Dick” you can harpoon it, but you can never can kill it. Because of the Catholic base fandom which is in the 10 of millions. Rudy! Rudy ! Rudy!
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Notre Dame in the Big 12 would lord over the conference and treat it as beneath them just like UT did. Leave em in the cold.
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UT was a full time member.
The conversation is if ND joins Big 12 as a mere scheduling partner.
Given that the Big 12 would be the only remaining Power Conference to allow a scheduling partner, I think the Big 12 would hold the leverage for negotiations otherwise ND will have to stick with the ACC
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I love all the outrage for ND… but what about BYU and the Big 12? We should be screaming even louder! I think the CFP did permenant damage to the Big 12 the past 2 years!
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The ACC should get out of the partnership and go to a 9 game conference schedule. With all conferences on a 9 game slate, this would force ND’s hand to either join a conference, or schedule patsies as filler making it more challenging to make the playoff.
And if ND does turn to the B12 for a partnership in football only and conference member for all other sports, then the conference would most likely have to invite
another member to get it 18.
Who is that going to be?
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Under a fantasy scenario that includes an all sports ND merger to the Big 12… I would considering adding UConn if all the ACC schools are off the table… corner the market in basketball and balance the football dillution with ND.
If this true, a lawsuit should be filed from all other schools against whoever supposedly approved this.
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It was reported today by Notre Dame AD Pete Bevacqua, that a MOU was signed applying to the 2026 season that if Notre Dame is ranked in the top 12 at the end of that season, Notre Dame is assured a CFP spot. Bevacqua is supposed to address this in more detail in a press conference on Tuesday, 12/9/25.
I would love to understand why this special consideration is needed. Apparently, the MOU was signed this Spring, prior to the latest kerfuffle involving Notre Dame.
Okay Notre Dame, convince me.
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This is such garbage.
What will invariably happen at some point is that will knock out a higher-ranked B12 team to make room for the special guest.
Or maybe they’ll make them play a special play-in game with the team they would displace. This would be a “playoff” without coming at the expense of another team.
I agree it’s BS. If Notre Dame wants the protection that a conference team gets, join a conference.
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What? ND thinks the ACC didn’t kiss their butts enough? ND is not in the ACC, they just have a scheduling agreement. They can take their arrogant a$$es and lock themselves in a room and have a pity party.
What would be cool is if they ended their scheduling agreement with the ACC and couldn’t find a P4 team to take the places of teams scheduled. Heck it would be great if they could only get FCS and G6 teams to schedule them.
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It has to do with the CFP field expansion going to 14 or 16 team. The MOU is if the expansion is ratified, ND has to be top 12 and not top 10 to get in.
An MOU is not a final legally bound contract but does carry weight. I’ll let the UH law school alums expand.
ACC fine with 17. Big 12 should be fine, too. Think it unlikely ND comes to Big 12, though. They will come to some deal with ACC, or go to SEC or BIG.
I was thinking the same, a P4 boycott of ND.
The above the rules treatment they expect is getting old now.
And I actually kinda like them for all their history ( minus the UH
Cotton “Ice” Bowl thing) they brought during amateur College football era.
But now, no way they should get above the rules special treatment.
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ND should jump at chance to join Big12.
No easier path to playoff.
Oklahoma and Texas would like to have such an easy path again.
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https://x.com/Brett_McMurphy/status/1998442691466768747?s=20
Notre Dame AD says he’s talked to the SEC since the CFP snub
Folks, here is an interesting take on ND as the only remaining major independent.
This!
While I am happy that ND is making a huge stink about this (since them doing it makes a bigger difference than if BYU did it), at the end of the day BYU is the one who really got hosed.
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They still are joining a conference. Maybe scheduling sec more.
Their whole identity is being independent.