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

BCS rules from an ESPN article in 2002: “And if there are two teams from a conference in BCS games, they don’t get two full shares. Instead, they get one and a third (between $18.1 million and $18.6 million). The BCS distributes the final two-thirds ($9.1 million) equally among BCS’ six member conferences.” (Source: ESPN.com)

As Auburn Athletic Director Jay Jacobs explained in 2007: “One other noteworthy fact is the BCS now has in place a rule governing conferences that place two teams in BCS bowls, which the SEC did this season with Florida and LSU.

"The payout for a second BCS team from any conference drops from $17 million to $4.5 million. The same participation fee is taken off the top, and the remaining money is divided evenly among the 12 SEC schools and the conference.” (Source: NCAA Football FanHouse)

For Notre Dame, one can easily conclude the same payout is taken off the top from the bowls and the remaining money is split between the BCS schools.

Each time Notre Dame goes to a BCS bowl, the BCS gets $13.5 million, the difference between ND’s revenue and the BCS payout.

Split between all 65 BCS schools, a Notre Dame appearance in the National Championship game (or other BCS game) could provide every other school with about $200,000 ($13.5 million/65).

In short, Notre Dame is the only team in the BCS who has a conference of 65 schools, sharing its bowl revenue with all of them.

“College football needs a strong Notre Dame. ”

Why include Notre Dame? It's not a member of any conference.

Bret Bielema: “I understand why certain teams get exemptions. I don’t understand why Notre Dame does. If they want to play by conference rules, join a conference.” (Source: Fanblogs College Football Blog)

Why include Notre Dame? It’s good business, Bret. The BCS does not want to lose Notre Dame. Conference commissioners, bowl committees, local business owners and their cities, and television and advertisers are first and foremost good businessmen.

The three highest-rated BCS TV ratings years all included Notre Dame teams:

• 2006-07: 56.0 rating, Sugar Bowl - ND vs. LSU
• 2005-06: 55.9 rating, Fiesta Bowl - ND vs. Ohio State
• 2000-01: 55.5 rating, Fiesta Bowl - ND vs. Oregon State
• 1999-00: 52.4 rating
• 2008-09: 51.1 rating
• 1998-99: 50.4 rating

The Fiesta Bowls in 2005-06 and 2000-01 have the two of the three highest, non-national championship TV ratings in their history. The 2007 Sugar Bowl has one of the highest ratings. That’s more advertising dollars.

Notre Dame fans travel, stay for days, and fill their allotment of seats and more, if available, even to Hawaii. The Hawaii Bowl enjoyed a 43 percent jump in its attendance, setting a record. 

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