Notre Dame going Independent?

[Larch]

Re: Notre Dame going Independent?

It does seem that some of you are really quick to shoot this down. It may not make the most sense to us, but given what has happened since the Big Mistake Hockey Conference was announced, I would say anything is possible at this point and there are some valid points in this. It's Notre Dame, and no offense to them, but it's not like we are talking about Western Michigan going this route.

[SanTropez]

Re: Notre Dame going Independent?

Its funny, I can actually hear the trembling in your voice praying this doesn't happen.

I'm sure the rest of the NCHC wouldn't be thrilled if this happens as well.

[vicb]

Re: Notre Dame going Independent?

And I guess as an independent Notre Dame would still be eligible for the NC$$ playoffs thru their Pair Wise Ranking Only????

[Red Cloud]

Re: Notre Dame going Independent?

With sincere apologies to Red Cloud...

Are you ****ing serious?

[komey1]

Re: Notre Dame going Independent?

We're talking about hockey still, right?

Casual viewers. College hockey fans will watch North Dakota play Denver. The casual sports watcher wouldn't know that these two teams are supposed to two of the best in the country, so they would rather watch a basketball game between 2 schools that are middle of the road in a power conference.

[SCSU Euro]

Re: Notre Dame going Independent?

We're talking about hockey still, right?

Yeah... because when the average person was flipping through the channels and momentarily stopped to see the Frozen 4 semifinal between UND and Mich they probably asked, "Why the hell is Notre Dame wearing green?" Whilie UND is a bigger name on these boards and 7 > 0, to those not in the know, Notre Dame hockey > North Dakota hockey.

I am not saying Notre Dame will go independent, nor am I saying that someone should give them any time on TV if they wanna keep their job, but dg has paraded out the NCHC as the smartest business move of all time, and I'm pointing out that calling out Notre Dame with some of the things he's said is funny. Let's put it this way: if DU wanted a different team in the NCHC and was praying Notre Dame stayed away, he'd have a **** press release about how Notre Dame was going independent.

[Skeeterman]

Re: Notre Dame going Independent?

I've always been independent.

[SCSU Euro]

Re: Notre Dame going Independent?

I'm sure the rest of the NCHC wouldn't be thrilled if this happens as well.

For sure, but nobody's cheerios would be more urine-filled that morning than dg's. Luckily he'd have a big bowl of crow to wash it down with.

[bronconick]

Re: Notre Dame going Independent?

Just to start off at the beginning.

Why would the Big Ten want to give Notre Dame 24 games a season while they're not in the conference? That makes them a de facto associate member regardless of what Delany or whoever claims. All the bonus of Big Ten association without bringing the football team along. That's basically the dead last thing I'd expect to see the Big Ten do, considering that their long term goal still has to be luring Notre Dame as a full member.

I'm sure in whatever setup Notre Dame ends up they'll still play Michigan, Michigan State, etc., but to make a deal where 2/3 of their schedule is set? Can't imagine them agreeing to that.

[4four4]

Re: Notre Dame going Independent?

Just to start off at the beginning.

Why would the Big Ten want to give Notre Dame 24 games a season while they're not in the conference? That makes them a de facto associate member regardless of what Delany or whoever claims. All the bonus of Big Ten association without bringing the football team along. That's basically the dead last thing I'd expect to see the Big Ten do, considering that their long term goal still has to be luring Notre Dame as a full member.

I'm sure in whatever setup Notre Dame ends up they'll still play Michigan, Michigan State, etc., but to make a deal where 2/3 of their schedule is set? Can't imagine them agreeing to that.

From a Minnesota point a view they will not have enough games to schedule Notre Dame on a year in and year out basis.

[dggoddard]

Re: Notre Dame going Independent?

For sure, but nobody's cheerios would be more urine-filled that morning than dg's. Luckily he'd have a big bowl of crow to wash it down with.

We fans don't have any control over what Notre Dame, DU, UND, Miami, CC, UMD or UNO decide or do. You would be better spent using your acerbic wit and vast energy asking SCSU's President why he didn't want to join the NCHC.

[IrishHockeyFan]

Re: Notre Dame going Independent?

Notre Dame has maybe 200,000 alumni...

Actually it's closer to 100,000 than 200,000 I believe.

Here's the deal on this independence thing. Tom Nevala, Associate AD, made an off-hand and obligatory remark to the South Bend Tribune about Notre Dame looking at all their options when deciding where their interests would be best served in the new landscape for college hockey. "Other than joining the Big 10, we are looking at everything, even independence," were basically his words.

Everyone has been running with, and reading too much into those statements for a month now. Something everyone needs to understand is just how viscerally Notre Dame clings to it's independent status for the football team. So much so that sometimes, even among those at the very top of the athletic department food chain, that attitude creeps forth in statements made to the media about anything to do with athletics. While they stubbornly clung to independence in their men's basketball program for far too long, they likely won't make that mistake (and I think that's what it would be) in the hockey program. Making the NCAAs in our sport is too important, and giving up an extra chance to reach that goal (the playoff auto-bid if your regular season stumbles a bit) outweighs whatever attractiveness there is in going it alone.

There has been some recent scuttlebutt on another website that the delay in making their destination known publicly is due to a difference of opinion among the coaching staff and the athletic department on where that actually is. Supposedly one side wants Hockey East, the other wants the NCHC. This is not what I have been led to believe. While I have no definitive source to cite, my understanding is that Notre Dame has known for a while now where they want to be and this Notre Dame fan wishes we would just crap or get off the pot. Notre Dame is looked at all too frequently as being arrogant when it comes to just about anything, and especially when it comes to athletics. Dragging our feet publicly because we are so confident that anyone would welcome us with open arms -- even if that is entirely the case -- only serves to perpetuate that belief.

[SteveF]

If Texas has their own TV network, so will ND - their hockey team will be very happy there in stunning HD. The end.

No one in the US even cares enough about the NHL to warrant extensive TV coverage on anything but a leper channel like VS; you really think these same audiences are going to care about one college hockey team? There will never be a national tv deal with college hockey; it's far too regional.

Rudy aint walking through that door

[mookie1995]

No one in the US even cares enough about the NHL to warrant extensive TV coverage on anything but a leper channel like VS; you really think these same audiences are going to care about one college hockey team? There will never be a national tv deal with college hockey; it's far too regional.

Rudy aint walking through that door

I like college hockey and I would prefer to watch notre dame's girls tennis over notre dame boys ice hockey.

[bigmrg74]

Re: Notre Dame going Independent?

Just to start off at the beginning.

Why would the Big Ten want to give Notre Dame 24 games a season while they're not in the conference? That makes them a de facto associate member regardless of what Delany or whoever claims. All the bonus of Big Ten association without bringing the football team along. That's basically the dead last thing I'd expect to see the Big Ten do, considering that their long term goal still has to be luring Notre Dame as a full member.

I'm sure in whatever setup Notre Dame ends up they'll still play Michigan, Michigan State, etc., but to make a deal where 2/3 of their schedule is set? Can't imagine them agreeing to that.

There is that as well. I could see Wisconsin still being in that mix, but signing up with home and home deals? That's going to be a bit much, even with the amount of NC games that the BTHC schools will want to fill. Especially with the party line from Delany being, "Join the Dark Side, get a cut of our Giganormous TV network deal that your football program alone will increase everybody's overall share, oh, and have a free Cookie!!!"