So much has been written below about how adding Notre Dame to the Acc would make its long term survival more likely.
1. ESPN would open the contract, no doubt. But let's say the conference stays at 15. How much money would this truly add? 6-7 ND home games moves from NBC to ESPN. 5 million more per school? 25 million more per school?
2. Moving beyond the critical "identity" piece, what does Notre Dame surrender? What could be negotiated?
- non-Saturday home games are a huge problem for ND> Our fan base comes from across the country, most far from SBN. I travel 11 hours - That might be about average.
- because our fan base has to travel and stay near SBN overnight, we need to know our schedule way more in advance than January 31.
- ND gets drafted for night games almost all the time on the road. Is there any way to restrict this? Even our "close" fans have to get to Chicago and that ends up being 3 am.
- ND games would then fight for a spot on the mouse networks instead of a guaranteed slot on NBC - this is a net negative for our ACC opponents as well.
- Scheduling the ACC as a conference would be better off scheduling like we are scheduled. We play many of our ACC 5 give opponents more often than some of you play each other.
So what does ND gain by joining? Within shouting distance of B1g/SEC, say $60 million per year? I can't imagine that Phillips/Swarbrick/ESPN have not at least had that conversation.
But is there anything else?
- CFP access? TBD
- playing for a conference championship has some meaning. Our players would enjoy that. ND has been in the CFP conversation for five straight years. Having something to play for if we lose to Ohio St and Stanford by Oct 15 might add value. That BC game in November has way more panache if a trip to the ACC championship is on the line.
- weekly/yearly ACC honors for the players has some value to them especially in these NIL days
- the ACC games would be less of a "burden" and more interest.
What is the true value to having Notre Dame join the ACC for the ACC and Notre Dame?
Has anybody really done the math?