Very few schools can approach the history and tradition of Notre Dame Fighting Irish football. Legendary head coach Knute Rockne laid the foundation of the program during his 13-year tenure at the school from 1918-30. Over the next several decades, Notre Dame continued to be one of the powerhouses of college football. In 1988, the school won its 11th national title under head coach Lou Holtz. However, the program has fallen on hard times since the end of Holtz’s tenure after the 1996 campaign.

Over the last 13 years, Notre Dame has posted a mediocre record of 91-68. During this period, the Irish are just 1-7 in bowl games. Against one of its biggest rivals, Notre Dame has been overmatched in recent years. USC has won eight straight matchups against the Irish. Most of the contests have been blowouts. While Notre Dame has retained its status as the most notable independent school in college football, the university could be slipping further behind the times in its current state.

Overrated TV Deal

As an independent, Notre Dame has had a significant television deal with NBC for the last couple of decades. Under the deal, every Notre Dame home game is broadcast by the network. While this arrangement sets the Irish apart from other schools, the deal is no longer a huge issue in the overall landscape of televised college football. Most elite programs from around the nation have its games telecast. While the Irish could use the NBC deal as a recruiting pitch a few years ago, Notre Dame no longer stands alone in terms of televised coverage of its games.

A New Generation

While Notre Dame was a household name in college football for many decades, the program’s decline over the last dozen years has left today’s top players under whelmed by the school. Today’s high school stars can get a combination of tradition and current success at a number of other high-profile universities. Alabama, Texas and USC are among the schools that fit this bill. In addition, players can go to these universities to compete in top notch conferences.

A Logical Move

Of course, Notre Dame is already in the Big East in basketball. In today’s world of college football, it makes sense to join a conference. While the Big East isn’t at the same level as the SEC or Big 12 in football, the conference has been improving on the gridiron in recent years. If Notre Dame joined the Big East in football, it would be the biggest name in the league. Also, the Irish would gain more exposure in the markets that form the league. New York City, Tampa, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh are among the areas that are represented in Big East football. If Notre Dame made this move, the Irish could still play some key non-conference games. Television networks would still showcase Notre Dame as a non-independent. In the end, Notre Dame must realize that today’s college football is built around some powerhouse conferences.

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