When Notre Dame Said No, Did They Underestimate Big Ten Network?

Things change so quickly in today's sports world, it seems that sometimes before a story's ink has dried, the story is outdated. 

This couldn't be more the case with the rumors flying around about conference expansion, and which schools are going to be part of the expansion—don't believe anything you hear, it changes by the hour.

Notre Dame Claims it won't join a conference

While the Big Ten has been rumored to be looking into expanding their league, Notre Dame's Jack Swarbrick recently told the Chicago Tribune, "The Irish won't become the conference's 12th school."

Swarbrick went on to explain that, "Independence is a big part of the tradition of the program and our identity, we'd sure like to maintain it."  He added, "Our independence is tied up with a lot of the rivalries we have."

Bleacher Report stalwarts like Francesco Barromini and Michael Collins echo Swarbrick's thoughts. Collins also talked of rivalries and wrote, "any conference affiliation will require the independent Irish to sacrifice long time rivalries."

Bleacher Report's Clashmore Mike, in a comment to an article entitled, "Big Ten Expansion: Texas and Notre Dame Only Real Choices," makes his feelings clear and firm—"For the zillionth time, Notre Dame will not join the Big Ten."

Swarbrick, Barromini, Collins, and Mike are all honorable men.  They all believe standing by tradition is important— and they've all underestimated the Big Ten Network.

What the Big Ten Network has done for the Big Ten

Dale Bruss, of Brandchannel, puts it as simply as one can.

He writes, "The conference-focused ESPN wanna-be has become a money machine in just three years."  He explained that the Big Ten made $242 million in television revenue last year, three times as much as the Big 12, largely because of the Big Ten Network.

Bruss thinks it's the success of the Big Ten Network that has made it a possibility that the Texas Longhorns, though 900 miles away from the Big Ten's closest member, could become its newest member.

The Brandchannel reporter hasn't said anything about Notre Dame—No one's asked him!

John Orchard, of sportsbusinessjournal.com, thinks Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany was so brilliant for developing the Big Ten Network, he credits him for helping the SEC make three times what it was getting from CBS and ESPN.

He explains that once ESPN saw how successful the Big Ten Network had become, they didn't want the SEC to develop their own network, so they increased their SEC contract to $150 million per year.

In an article appearing on philsteele.com, it was keenly observed that, "Notre Dame has watched helplessly as it relinquished its title as the king of college football television."

Notre Dame's NBC television contract

Some analysts think Notre Dame must be viewing the Big Ten and SEC with "envy."  Although they still make about twice the television money of every school, with the exceptions of those in the Big Ten or SEC, this could change if ESPN feels it must increase revenues to the other BCS conferences.

Notre Dame recently agreed to a new five-year NBC contract which is estimated to be around the same dollar figure as their last—approximately $9 million/year.

Notre Dame, as a member of the Big East in basketball, collects about $2 million yearly.

How the Big Ten Network operates

The Big Ten Network is a joint project between the Big Ten and Fox Cable Networks.  The Big Ten is the majority owner, controlling 51 percent.

It is currently available to 73 million households in the United Sates and Canada.

The Network shows about 40 football games, 100 men's basketball games, and 50 women's basketball games a year.  It also shows Big Ten Championship events, coaches shows, classic games, and whatever else the Big Ten feels has interest to its audience.

The Network is available in 19 of the 20 largest markets in the country and presently Fox pays the Big Ten approximately 70 cents for every household hooked up to their cable package.

The Big Ten has entered into a 20-year partnership with Fox and the potential reward for the Big Ten Conference seems to be huge.

Will the Big Ten Network push Notre Dame across the line?

It's still highly doubtful at this time that Notre Dame will join a conference in football.  The school from South Bend has managed to keep its independent status since its beginning.

Tradition is very important to Notre Dame.  With that said, its hard to imagine the rivalries which Swarbrick and others have referred to—USC and Navy—couldn't be comfortably incorporated along with a conference schedule.

While Jack Swarbrick has made it as clear as can be, that Notre Dame will not join the Big Ten, as the Big Ten Network grows, he will have to look at its success and wonder about the possibility of joining, at some point in the future. 

Ka-Ching!