Notre Dame and the BCS: The “Notre Dame Rule”

Analyst Written on July 02, 2009

With Independence Day upon us, some college football fans have difficulty in swallowing an independent Notre Dame. The cartel that is the BCS—a conglomeration of the biggest bowls and the biggest conferences—succeeds in siphoning more money into their teams’ coffers.

Meanwhile, some delusional non-Irish fans think that somehow, someway Notre Dame has a BCS “rule” that bestows preferential treatment. Nothing is further from the truth.

Fallacy No. 1: “Notre Dame is preferred in the BCS selection process.”

Notre Dame is guaranteed a BCS selection if they finish in the top eight in the final poll. To guarantee themselves a BCS game, ND must finish higher than some conference champions each year.

In the 11-year history of the BCS, 19 BCS conference champions have finished below the top eight teams. Here they are:

2008-09: Cincinnati (No. 12), Virginia Tech (No. 19)
2007-08: West Virginia (No. 9), Illinois (No. 13)
2006-07: Oklahoma (No. 10), Wake Forest (No. 14)
2005-06: West Virginia (No. 11), Florida State (No. 22)
2004-05: Michigan (No. 13), Pittsburgh (No. 21)
2003-04: Miami (No. 9), Kansas State (No. 10)
2002-03: Florida State (No. 14)
2001-02: Maryland (No. 10), LSU (No. 13)
2000-01: Purdue (unranked)
1999-00: Stanford (unranked)
1998-99: Wisconsin (No. 9), Syracuse (No. 15)

In the three years Notre Dame played in BCS games, the Irish finished higher in the final BCS standings than Big Ten champion Purdue (2000-01), Big East champion West Virginia and ACC champion Florida State (2005-06) and Big 12 champion Oklahoma and ACC champion Wake Forest (2006-07).

Notre Dame has never been selected for any BCS games when they have lost more than two games in a season. In 10 of the 11 years, BCS conference teams have played a BCS bowl with three losses or more—more than any Notre Dame BCS team.

2008-09: Virginia Tech (9-4), ACC Champion
2007-08: Illinois (9-3), At Large
2005-06: Florida State (8-4), ACC Champion
2004-05: Pitt (8-4), Big East Champion
2003-04: Kansas State (11-3), Big 12 Champion
2002-03: Florida State (9-4), ACC Champion
2001-02: LSU (9-3), SEC Champion
2000-01: Purdue (8-3), Big Ten Champion
1999-00: Stanford (8-3), Pac-10 Champion
1998-99: Syracuse (8-3), Big East Champion

Somehow, a three or four-loss BCS team confers a special dispensation from the criticism aimed at Notre Dame. Every BCS conference has a champion in that list. Of those 10 teams, only Virginia Tech and LSU won their games. Only Illinois was an at-large selection.

Who is really getting preferential selection treatment?

Fallacy No. 2: “Notre Dame gets an unfair distribution of BCS money.”

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Notre Dame and the BCS: The “Notre Dame Rule”

Michael Collins

Fallacy No. 1: “Notre Dame is preferred in the BCS selection process.”