It's been reported for almost a year now that the Texas Longhorns have looked to bring the Notre Dame Fighting Irish into the Big 12, even perhaps as an eventual Thanksgiving Day rival. Now, via Brett McMurphy's excellent reporting, Texas AD DeLoss Dodds has gone on the record, describing some of the options Notre Dame's discussed with Texas:
Big 12 Expansion: Texas Admits Courting Notre Dame, But Opposes Realignment
“Notre Dame has options,” Dodds said. “I think they love their position. I certainly think they can continue to do what they’re doing and do it well and be a major player. But they have options.
“We’ve talked to Notre Dame about the Big 12 ... They could put some football here [by playing a few non-conference games against Big 12 opponents].”
Remember where we were just last year, when Notre Dame was still a sure thing to eventually land in the Big Ten, with Jim Boeheim even telling the Irish they’d weather realignment and end up there? Then, for like a week, they were gone to the ACC? Now the Big 12 is the only landing spot that makes sense to anybody.
Dodds does say that the Horns are against bringing any more teams into the Big 12. But every conference* will make an exception on just about every rule for Notre Dame.
* Except the ACC, which wouldn’t let Notre Dame “put some football” there.
For more on Irish football, visit Notre Dame blog One Foot Down, plus SB Nation Indiana.
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