Conference Realignment: What Becomes of Notre Dame?

The College Football landscape as we know it is about to come to an end.

A month ago a rumor circulated that Texas A&M was contemplating a move to the SEC, and that Oklahoma and Texas were also planning a move.

Then things quieted down, and it seemed to smooth over.

And then it didn't.

A&M is officially bolting to the SEC. Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech have all sought and received permission to their board of regents to explore a new conference alignment and seem ready to push the Pac 12 to 16.

The Big 12 is effectively over.

Pittsburgh and Syracuse surprised everyone by announcing that they have agreed to join the ACC, and are soon to be followed by Connecticut and potentially Rutgers bringing the ACC to 16 teams.

The Big East is effectively over.

The age of the "super conference" is upon us.

The days of football independence may be coming to a close.

With four super conferences of 16 teams each, probably playing nine conference games filling a full schedule could be difficult. Most conferences prefer to play non-conference games early, and finding 12 schools to play a non-conference game against Notre Dame could be a challenge.

Finding six to eight of those schools to give the Irish a home date when they could schedule a home-only series with a Sun Belt, WAC or MAC team as a warm up to league play may also prove challenging for Irish independence hopes.

Further problematic for Notre Dame could be whatever new championship format arises.

The four super conferences will each have a championship game, which would in effect act as a round one for a championship playoff. There is no guarantee that an "at large" bid would be granted, as the remaining four teams could be all that are considered for the national championship.

Even if the Irish could land a competitive enough schedule to make a 12-0 run meaningful, they could end up Boise State. On the outside looking in every year.

The last and most damning threat to Irish football independence comes in the form of the non-football sports.

Let's say for the moment that Notre Dame can still field a schedule of high level talent, that the other conferences agree to allow "at large" bids to the championship format and Notre Dame football can remain independent.

The non-football sports can't.

Without the Big East and the fantastic "everything but football" deal that Notre Dame received, the other Irish programs are homeless. While "barnstorming" across the country may work for football, it's not exactly workable for lacrosse or women's tennis.

It's true that the remnants of the Big East and Big 12 may join together to keep themselves on life support, leaving the balance of Cincinnati, South Florida, Louisville, West Virginia, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Baylor and Iowa State that aren't poached by the SEC and Big 10 in their expansions to 16.

Even if this league succeeds in forming, it's hard to imagine why they would allow Notre Dame to join without football.The new group would need cache. They would need money. Notre Dame football and its network would be necessary in not only relevance, but survival.

With all the marquee names likely pulled into the larger conferences, it's also unlikely that they could pull together into a fifth super conference anyway. Even if they pulled in independents Notre Dame and BYU along with swiping Boise State before someone else does, would there be enough firepower to make it competitive with the other four?

Or would it be more like the rumored Conference USA/Mountain West merger product.

The bottom line in all of this upheaval is money. Some schools have it, others want more of it and moving conferences is their way of making it.

Being one of the biggest "haves" in the business, Notre Dame is a school that EVERY conference wants.

They all also realize that it's better for all of them if Notre Dame (and Texas for that matter) is in. They bring attention, they bring ratings and, most of all, they bring money to the table.

For that reason alone, the super conferences should see no benefit in an independent Notre Dame on equal standing with the rest of them. Most schools loathe that Notre Dame was given special consideration into the BCS without joining a BCS conference.

Don't think for a second that the same mistake would be made a second time.

The best hope for Notre Dame remaining independent is in Texas.

Texas staying with the remaining Big 12 probably keeps Texas Tech, and may be enough to hold the Oklahoma schools.

With the run on conferences again halted, the Big East could see a stay of execution.

Pitt and Syracuse are gone, but holding Connecticut and Rutgers is key for the non-football sports where the Big East remains a premier conference.

With Connecticut, West Virginia, Cincinnati, St. John, Georgetown, DePaul, Notre Dame,Villanova, Seton Hall...there is enough firepower to remain a powerhouse in every other sport, especially basketball.

Big East football can merge with Big 12 football, and be big enough to matter.

The other way that Texas can help would be to become an independent themselves. 

There is strength in numbers, and Texas being out there with Notre Dame and BYU begins to be a coalition. Coerce one more huge name out from under the conference umbrella and suddenly you have something to potentially reverse the trend.

As a pairing to a newly forming mess of a conference from the shattered Big 12/East, Notre Dame and Texas could be attractive, even with football independence, as long as the Irish and Longhorns schedule heavily from within the conference and share football television revenue.

Hopes of Notre Dame remaining independent aren't dead just yet...

They may be on life support.