Conference Realignment: Big East Collapse Could Leave Notre Dame With A Decision

With conference realignment still a fluid situation, the attention has turned to Notre Dame, and the most coveted football program in the land. The Fighting Irish have maintained their football independence forever, spurning conferences and cashing in on a lucrative television deal throughout the program’s history. But without a home for its non-revenue sports, Notre Dame may have a decision to make, and could join a conference as a full member.

Brett McMurphy explains the Fighting Irish’s options if the Big East collapses.

If the Big East no longer exists, Notre Dame will have two options: Join the Big 12/Big Ten/ACC/SEC as a full member or stay independent in football and join one of those conferences with its non-football sports.

It will depend on how bad Notre Dame cherishes its football independence, because I’m sure one of those four conferences would prefer Notre Dame as a non-football member (and the guarantee of Notre Dame being on those future football schedules) to having Notre Dame in another league.

Again, it’s still unknown whether the Big East will be able to weather the conference realignment storm and stay intact, albeit weakened. And even if the Big East does fall apart, it’s difficult to envision Notre Dame dropping its independence to suddenly become a full member, especially if the option to join a conference as a partial member is on the table.

But then again, stranger things have happened in conference realignment.