"Swarbrick specifically pushed back at the notion that Sankey was trying to orchestrate playoff expansion as a means of drawing Texas and Oklahoma into his league. “It’s complete bull****,” he said. “Greg’s really smart, but nobody’s that Machiavellian. I had my own views, Thompson did, Bowlsby did. We weren’t being manipulated by Greg. [The playoff] will wind up at 12."

First, I think Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC was ALREADY happening BEFORE the CFP meetings, the plan just wasn't outed yet. The SEC getting to the CFP to 12 wasn't just to appease OU and UT, but its own members who now will have an even larger mountain to climb to win the conference or be in position to get an at-large position if the CFP remained at 4. And yes, it was in deed, "Machiavellian" by Sankey--interesting word choice from any ND administrator. LOL.

Second, I think Swarbrick would LIKE this to stretch on to the mid-2030s (read: expiration of the ACC contract), but I sense it will be much sooner than that. So predicting it as late as the mid-2030s is hardly a bold take.

He's probably a little chapped that the B1G and SEC are going to have more to say about what the new landscape of college football is going to look like a generation from now than Notre Dame.

Side note: If VT is looking to leave the ACC, the last person I'd tell is Swarbrick. So I don't know who these schools are that are whispering to ND's sympathetic ear about their future escape plans, but I hope it's not us. Notre Dame will be helping Notre Dame, in true Machiavellian form. And there's nothing wrong with that. Just understand it for what it is.
[Post edited by Maroon Baboon at 04/23/2022 11:17PM]