I remember when you first started posting here, you didn't think ND would participate if they paid them. Now I get that it is court ordered, but even the NFL has a salary cap, this is quite a change from your first stance. Curious, how did you do a 180 degree change? ** Edited by Stech at 1/18/2026, 12:32:04 PM

If you have the money and the resources then let the big schools spend it. It’s the capitalist way and I am a capitalist.

and balances. If you get it down to just a handful of schools can win, it will ruin the sport. The NFL has a draft, has a salary cap etc, xo that doesn't happen. As a Nebraska friend of mine said, pigs get fat hogs get slaughtered. If we go to a tier 1, I think the NFL should probably take over. PS Pretty sure it was you that posted that. but it really doesn't matter, what matters is what we do now.

Father Jenkins/Jack Swarbrick/Brian Kelly were replaced by the very much more focused and aggressive trio, Father Dowd/Pete Bevacqua/Marcus Freeman. The last-minute "fix" by the Playoff Committee was the end for anyone at ND who disfavored going full throttle in football. It's a seismic change at ND. It is now fully aligned to do whatever it takes to make the playoffs and compete for championships. Self imposed restrictions have been lowered and tons of money has been raised. ** Edited by TerryD at 1/18/2026, 2:48:01 PM

couldn't be money or vanity going from no post season participation, to playing in bowls, to getting an automatic seat via the ACC, to we must have guaranteed access to the CFP; from no paying players, to we should be able to pay them as much as we want (but players still can't be employees because we'd quit over that) the religious schools and other select privates should just withdraw from the NCAA and form their own leagues like they do in HS...oh that's right, they'd lose viewership/$$$ ** Edited by daveinop at 1/18/2026, 11:04:24 AM

The restrictions are being lifted and the big $$$ is being spent. After all, its all legal now. The rest of college football changed before ND did. ND has decided to compete with Alabama, Ohio State, etc...without its previous cheapness and self imposed academic restrictions. Its a new day at ND, thankfully. ND finally woke up. ** Edited by TerryD at 1/19/2026, 4:47:56 PM

If and most likely when the Big 18 and SEC break away from the NCAA, there will be more losers in college football than winners. I’m a capitalist and love free market, but you may find yourself outside looking in when all the cards fall. Of course, the day the Big 18 and SEC split from the NCAA will be the day the Irish will grovel to be in the Big 18 in ALL sports. In that case, no cap benefits you greatly.

Holtz 87-88. We spent between 30-40 million on this roster and would spend more if talent came available. I just need to open the floodgates and let the chips fall where they may. Not an ideal system, but it is the American system. ** Edited by goldendomer at 1/18/2026, 1:23:08 AM

You may end up being the richest “NCAA” program in 4 to 10 years.

John Brice said that ND is spending $30-35 million on this year's roster. Previous restrictions on undergrad transfers have been lessened. ND used to take grad transfers only, with an occasional exception for guys from places like Navy, Northwestern, etc... Now, ND is accepting multiple undergrad players with multiple years of eligibility from schools like Ohio State, Michigan, and Oregon. (ND now has 9 5 star recruits on its 2026 roster) ND has decided to spend the money necessary and lessen its internal restrictions. I don't think that is going to change any time soon. ** Edited by TerryD at 1/18/2026, 8:14:58 AM

There is a seismic shift happening at Notre Dame, a complete and entirely different way the Administration has treated/considered the football program for decades now. The entire school is aligned now with this effort, from the Holy Cross fathers to the president, the Board of Trustees, and the AD. Everyone is on board to do what it takes to truly compete for multiple national championships, with no counter efforts because of fears that football overshadows academics. You see it in recruiting, with the transfer portal and with the playoffs. No more "shopping down a different aisle" for players or being content with "being in the conversation" about the playoffs or national title chase like it was under Father Jenkins/Jack Swarbrick/Brian Kelly. The last time I looked, ND was #1 in the country in combined recruiting class/transfer portal class. ND is much more aggressive about things under Father Dowd, Pete Bevacqua, and Marcus Freeman. Now, the official theme is "Leave no doubt". Pete Bevacqua has been saying that the goal is for ND to win multiple championships in the future. Not shy about it at all. Someone or something just woke ND up from a long self-imposed slumber. ** Edited by TerryD at 1/18/2026, 8:39:17 AM

We'll never be part of that...ok we will....its not bad...really... Maybe it is, maybe it isn't....but we know how "moralistic" ND is now....they are no different than anyone else, never have been...that was always the contention though...

ND is all about football independence. If, hypothetically speaking, ND has the magic formula and wins the next 2 or 3 natties and then in 4 to 10 years the SEC and Big 18 say bye bye to the NCAA and the ACC and Big 12 are shells of themselves, would ND go independent if the new super conference leagues mirrored that of the NFL setup? If not, I guess ND will go out with a bang.

....is much more preferable to ND than joining any of the existing conferences. ND would rather stay independent forever if possible. That is the preferred outcome by far. But, if that proves completely and totally untenable, then joining a Super League is seen as much better than letting any existing conference (ND is not a fan of any) "win" this particular war/contest/realignment by "conquering" ND.

This sounds a little bit like a convenient re-definition exercise to me. If ND is good with, let’s say, being in the Big 28 super league, the Big 28 may force every school (including ND) into one of their four 7-team divisions (or another word could be conference). But let’s say the super conference model goes with 28 division-less teams, ND will still be in a conference but may only have access to 27 opponents versus the 130-something we have today. That’s unless the SEC and Big 28 allow for cross conference (ahem I meant super conference) play, then ND has access to 55 schools instead of the 130+. No more Navy at the very least but probably others too. And if ND tries to dictate to the Big 28 to grant a special condition where ND remains independent and not in a Big 28 division, I’m not sure I see the Big 28 being as weak and concessional as the Big East or ACC. But I’m sure ND will go nuclear and assemble the best lawyers they can find and even seek the Supreme Court to rule in their favor. The sun always seems to shine on the Irish’s ass.

....I said that football independence forever is the much-preferred option, forever. But, if forced to give up independence, then ND would consider a Super League as a better option than joining an existing conference.

and a saw that and see that in every single one of your posts. But you also said “a super league is much more preferable to ND than joining any of the existing conferences.” I’m merely pointing out that a super league is either a conference by itself or will be a league made up of divisions (another word for conference). Sure, ND doesn’t want to join the ACC or the Big 12 because they are beneath them and maybe not the current SEC or Big Ten either. But the Big Ten would be OK as along as it was part of a super league. Well… that’s a conference and actually would be an existing conference that just grew to be the Big 24/28. And the hill you are dying on is that ND will never join a conference… football independence forever as you say. Sounds like the Big Ten is on the road to saying checkmate to ND and then a decision is needed. And being forced to do something like joining the Big Ten versus having an untenable situation are two different things. If the situation for ND is untenable down the road, no one is forcing you to do anything. ND CHOOSES to be football independent and makes their homes in conferences like the Big East and ACC for all other sports. If things go awry and ND can’t control the environment like they do today, then they either have to adapt (i.e join a conference like the Big Ten within a super league) or stick to your independent guns and play the likes of Miami Ohio and Troy every year. Either way ND loses and I think that’s the part you can’t stand. ND will be defeated and possibly conquered in all this mess. If there is refusal to be conquered, ND will be an independent in the NCAA version of college football and not in the super league. That’s OK though… it’s possible my school might be stuck there with you… it would be just our luck.

I am just posting ND's point of view. ND doesn't find any existing conference as desirable enough to give up independence. If it is forced to give it up, it doesn't want to give it up and surrender to any existing conference, especially the Big Ten. If it is forced to give it up, it would rather give it up to an entirely new thing than an existing conference. So, the Super League. BTW, isn't Jack Swarbrick a big proponent of a Super League? Isn't once such concept called "Project Rudy"? :)

Super League…. Conference. No existing conference is desirable yet ND will probably end up in the Big Ten when they help start the super league. The Big Ten looks like they’re going to win and conquer ND afterall. And this is your shtick as much as it is NDs. You take great pride in “football independence forever.” Plus I’ve seen you many years ago on the Boneyard and it’s the same shtick here that you had over there.

The Big Ten is no more. :)

Regardless whether the Super league consists of the Big Ten league and SEC league or a different name like the Northern League and the Southern League, it’s still a conference and ND relinquishes football independence forever. Paint it however you like to paint it Terry, but you’ll be in a conference even if the term is “division” and ND will be a slave to the machine and have to follow the rules. Hope I’m still alive to witness it for a great long laugh.

funding initiative, KU with theirs, add in TT and other high profile spending initiatives, and you have the makings of an arms race. As has been posted by others, now that the spending is "legal" and out in the open, it gives institutions the green light to shed the illusion of "being academically better" than other schools, as it's survival that is at stake. ND's educational brand is tied to their football success - the brand, not the actual education. To many schools, the athletic department is the best advertising there is to promote their University. While ND is not unique in that regard, the pride of their football success is undeniable.

The “student athlete” started to disappear in the 60s and 70s and all but disappeared by the late 90s and early 2000s. Schools like Vandy and Duke can’t claim they are hamstrung by academic requirements. That’s a load of crap and it probably was in the early 90s when Christian Laettner was playing foosball and drinking beer 24-7 and taking classes from a nearby school that would transfer credit to Duke. But right now… no one can claim academics are getting in the way. This is semi pro football. The universities should even pitch that these kids not even attend class but rather commit to being a sports marketing representative for the university. That’s unless they really want to go to school and learn.

"college" football, they will have to bring the college part of it back into the equation. It's the only leverage that may get congress to intervene IMO.

but what if universities viewed sports as a trade? For example, Peter Pigskin s majoring in football and gets 6 credits for playing football plus 9 credits for practicing and learning to play better football in the fall and 15 credits for classes like personal finance, negotiations with agents and pro teams, sports communications, alternative pro sport futures, etc in the spring. They sort of have this now with certain degrees but tell them that they don’t have to attend traditional classes in the fall. And if there is a true student athlete who wants to study civil engineering, then that athlete would be a double major. And then do the same for basketball. The only problem is football and basketball will probably be asked to subsidize all the other Olympic sports as a concession so those athletes have that same opportunity. Maybe this could be a loophole to get around the government because pro football is a trade.

Doesn't appear they've woken up but rather accepted their lowly place in the new ecosystem

point was that it's about the money in football. New stadium, new NIL money (every year), coaching salary increases, and a renewed focus on the football program that just wasn't there 10 years ago. Will that equate to success on the field? Maybe, maybe not, as there are a lot of factors that come into play, and don't forget, there are other schools in the B12 and nationwide that have also stepped up their game.

Tech and BYU. That's about it.

Looking at the top 30 transfer portal rankings, there appears to be 6 schools from ACC and Big 12 conferences but those rankings seem so what subjective. I have heard Stanford is getting ready to dump big money. Regardless, it all makes me sad. This is just pro sports now and the collegiality of it all is about to die. ** Edited by Calamitous at 1/18/2026, 10:26:06 PM