How To Get Notre Dame Football in the Big East

he table. If the money is right and the opportunity is there, Notre Dame would join a conference in football too, but the situation has to be just right.

WHAT'S IN IT FOR NOTRE DAME?

First and foremost for Notre Dame, unlike the Big 10, which has other powerhouse programs with clout, the Big East doesn't have a program that can write its own ticket. Notre Dame can write its own ticket and it can all but make its own rules dealing with the Big East.

However, the Big East and Notre Dame have already enjoyed an amicable relationship in all other sports (sans hockey) and the two entities have proven they can get along, so being able to work out an arrangement shouldn't be too difficult for them.

It isn't as if the two sides don't already know each other intimately. As this is being written, the Big East meetings are going on and Notre Dame is sitting alongside all the other schools in the Big East.

Notre Dame can continue its relationship with the other seven Catholic schools in the Big East as well by remaining in the Big East as opposed to joining another conference.

The more specific particulars...

—Offer to Notre Dame that if they join the Big East in football, they can keep all their NBC money to themselves. They do not have to make any stipulations with their NBC contract. That money belongs to them.

Playing Big East teams will not be an issue for NBC either. Keep in mind NBC picks Notre Dame for Notre Dame, not for their opponents. If NBC were disturbed by Notre Dame's schedules, Nevada would not being playing on NBC this coming fall when they travel to South Bend.


—Offer to Notre Dame that every other year they are guaranteed no worse than the Big East's second place bowl—assuming they are bowl-eligible in the odd year they would be able to take advantage of the clause should they finish lower than second place the year they are allowed to take advantage of the clause.

This rotation of every second year is strictly followed though. If Notre Dame finishes second or higher in its first year, it will participate in the bowl it earned on the field, whether it be the Big East's BCS bowl or the Gator Bowl as the second-place finisher.

The second year, however, if Notre Dame finished lower than second place, they could invoke their clause and still get the Gator Bid should they choose it. If they earned their second place or higher bid on the field in year two, they would be placed accordingly.

If Notre Dame were to finish lower than second place its first year in the league, it would play in whatever bowl it qualified for in order of conference standing, assuming they are bowl-eligible. They can not choose which year they can invoke the clause. Every second year they can choose to use it, but it CANNOT

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