Notre Dame Football: What Impending Playoff Means for Irish's Independence

The upcoming reorganization of the college football postseason could have consequences that extend beyond the sites of the current BCS bowls, perhaps including those hallowed grounds in South Bend, Ind.

After 125 years as a football independent, Notre Dame football may soon find more reason than ever to consider aligning itself with a league.

That reason? Access.

As in, access to a four-team playoff event—or whatever other term those men in fancy suits want to ascribe to the way in which college football will determine a champion once the current BCS TV contract comes due in 2014.

Nobody knows just yet what that system will look like, though it's possible that conference supremacy will be a prerequisite to a given school partaking in the grand, new postseason. Such a shift would likely force Notre Dame's football team into conference affiliation—be it the Big Ten (the best geographical fit), the Big 12 (also a solid fit), the Big East (where most of its other sports currently reside) or the ACC (arguably the most lucrative partner).

Then again, it's also entirely possible that an exemption will be made for the Fighting Irish in any proposal that's ultimately put to a vote by conference commissioners and university presidents. The existing system guarantees the Irish a BCS bowl berth if they finish in the top eight and grants them at-large eligibility if they win nine games and rank in the top 18.

Notre Dame's future as an independent, though, will ultimately be determined by its access to another resource—one that underlies the entire playoff proposal to begin with.

Money, that is.

As Andy Staples of Sports Illustrated points out, Notre Dame currently brings in $15 million per year from its TV deal with NBC. That figure, while handsome in and of itself, still lags behind the money being paid out to schools in the Pac-12, the Big Ten and the SEC. It figures to fall even further down the list once the Big East and Big Ten renegotiate their respective deals in the next few years.

Notre Dame's is scheduled to come due after the 2015 season.

On the one hand, the Irish may pull in even more money on account of skyrocketing programming fees, NBC's fear of being locked out of the college football frenzy entirely and the prospect of Brian Kelly's teams continuing to improve.

On the other hand, the ratings for Notre Dame's games have fluctuated wildly—from 20-year lows (against Army and Navy) to relative highs (against Michigan and Stanford), albeit predictably so.

A move into a big-time conference could guarantee the Irish a sizable piece of a much larger pie and a steadier stream of quality competition. It could also keep them from even greater riches from NBC and the chance to schedule games against whichever powerhouse programs they'd prefer.

Because, realistically, who's going to turn down a date with Notre Dame?

Chances are, Notre Dame football will remain independent even after a postseason comes to fruition, though much of that freedom will probably depend on Kelly's ability to keep the program competitive on the national stage.

At least until the Peacock comes calling again.

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