Notre Dame Football: Why the Irish Should Consider the ACC

It's the offseason, so you know that means the conference realignment talk will begin to heat up once again. We've already seen several moves with West Virginia officially moving to the Big 12, Memphis and a few others moving to the Big East and the MWC and C-USA trying to merge to form a horrible, horrible conference.

With all of these moves happening so fast, it brings up the question once again: What is Notre Dame going to do?

Now, I know the university and majority of the fans would like to remain independent. It's one of those things that makes the Irish feel special and unique that they don't have to be like these other programs out there to survive. I get it. But what if one of the premiere conferences is keeping the seat warm for them?

According to this report, the ACC is planning on bringing in UConn from the Big East and pairing them with Notre Dame to create a 16-team conference. That is, of course, with the recent additions of Syracuse and Pittsburgh and Notre Dame finally giving up its independence.

Notre Dame should consider it.

The Irish are one of the most prestigious programs in all of college football, but they're also a program that's falling behind. They've only won two bowl games in the last 18 years, and really the only thing keeping them relevant at this point is the fact they are Notre Dame. Simply being a top-notch program can only take you so far—eventually, you have to produce on the football field.

Joining the ACC would guarantee a chance to reach a BCS bowl and get back into the national spotlight. It would also help increase the strength of schedule for the Irish as well, which is so important if they'd like to get where they're trying to go.

With what seems like every conference trying to expand, there simply may not be enough room for the Irish to fill their schedules in the next few years. The Big East is expanding and may possibly become a 16-team conference at some point. I'm sure the Big 12 isn't comfortable with 10 teams, and the ACC is obviously looking to become a super-conference sooner than later.

Joining the ACC would add stability to this football program. It would also make sure there are still rivalries with teams like Boston College, Pittsburgh, Miami and even Georgia Tech. The move would also help with recruiting, knowing that they will have a complete schedule and actually have a chance to play for something. If Notre Dame doesn't join the ACC, the conference will find another team to fill the slot, limiting Notre Dame's schedule options even more.

Notre Dame just simply isn't as relevant as they should be at this point, and it may be time to become like everybody else and join a conference. It would increase competition, secure long-time rivalries and help recruiting in the long run.

With conferences looking to expand, Notre Dame may want to give up a bit of its pride and become a member before it's too late.

Randy Chambers is a B/R featured columnist that covers college football and the NFL. You can contact him @Randy_Chambers or [e-mail].