Thank you Josh for sticking up for Notre Dame. I would love for you to come to Notre Dame anytime you want. Lol

ND rests upon its storied history. They are a solid team year in and year out. But their money not history will nor donor fan base or fandom will move them forward in an ever changing landscape of college football. They have never been in a play off in the modern college football landscape and haven’t really been a serious contender for a national title in 20 years. You talking heads are the ones keeping them in the spotlight every year. They have such a storied history and strong national fan base, but they will be left out in the cold until they actually fully join a conference, not just associate with one in football. That’s what people really mean by relevant!!!! Not the straw men arguments you created Pate!!!!

@@jamesschmidlin1127 a conference doesn't make you relevant. Relevant is how much money you make for the TV companies. How many fans follow you. How many stadiums you sell out. Notre Dame is one of the if not the most relevant team in college football. It doesn't have to do with championships or conferences. People are going to hate on Notre Dame no matter what they do. And there's going to be a different reason every time.

Made a playoff and didnt yall have to vacate that whole season??

Astronomical academic standards don’t matter when you play sports. This argument really gets me mad. Notre dame recruits the same guys as Bama, Ohio State, USC, Texas. Go look at the top recruits and they all have offers from the same teams..

@@Purp4040 no, that was 2012

They need to grow up and join the big10

@@gideonrosa8079 yeah it was 2012 and 2013 season yall were caught playing ineligible players. Yall deserve divine punishment. Atleast another 40 years without a natty 🤣🤣🤣.

How many N6 bowl wins do you have this century? I’ll wait

@@User-xv1fu I'm disinclined to respond due to my laziness, and as a non-native speaker, I lack the inclination to engage in debate. Nonetheless, it's evident your team excels while its fans lack discernment. If relevance hinges solely on winning N6, few teams meet the criteria. As for A Smith's assertion regarding relevance, it implies National Championship wins, not even playoffs. Many NFL teams haven't won a Super Bowl this century. Your narrow-mindedness prevents you from recognizing our upward trajectory and the joy of our fans, juxtaposed with your envy and suspicion

@@innovhub2339 I’m a lifelong Bama fan, but I totally support your fandom for your team. Every team has a fanbase. That’s what makes CFB great! Roll Tide

​@@mynamedoesntmatter8652 What you said just matters. Thank you for your kind message, sir. Alabama's success owes much to fans like you

@@innovhub2339 Same to you, friend. I’m glad you’re a fan of a CFB team. I think that’s fantastic, and you’ve got a friend here in Alabama. My very best to you. See you around here again sometime, I hope. Til then -

At this point when it comes to everybody that's not a Notre Dame fan and everybody else outside of the fan base is begging us to be in a conference at this point. But it ain't going to happen

They need to be in a conference

@@kdeb92968 Why?

Why ??......??????????

@@kdeb92968 cat got your tongue? Why?

Of course you do your a fan of ND yall are overrated every year and haven’t won a major bowl game in like 25 years

@User-xv1fu Didn’t they beat lsu recently when bowl games still mattered?

@@JJ-zr6fu they never actually mattered considering they played zero impact on who wins the natty but that wasn’t a N6 bowl game even tho it was in New Year’s Day I don’t get it but i googled it and literally everyone keeps mentioning it

@@User-xv1fu Notre Dame does matter though, because beating them is a plus for your playoff resume. And get ready for it because with the expanded playoffs they'll be in it a lot.

@@User-xv1fu The only thing overrated are asinine comments like yours that have zero bearing on the upcoming year and just prove your butt-hurt.

We aren’t complaining bc our old athletic director literally came up with that idea

because its actually fair if anyone gave it any thought. The reason ND is fine with the way the current cfp format is because, by default, to get a bye, you must be a conference champion. Conference championships act as a teams 13th game of the season and often pit two highly ranked teams against each other. Obviously, notre dame doesn't play in a conference championship, meaning they don't play the 13th game, and do not have to beat a presumably very good team to get the bye. Instead they have to play and extra playoff game against a presumably very good team. Basically the first round of the cfp is Notre Dame's conference championship, if the win it, it's basically like they had a bye and won their conference championship. It actually makes a ton of sense for both sides. ND can stay independent and every team that is in the second round of the cfp have played at least 13 games, no matter what

@@aidan7738 yup

yall are obsessed with bk

@@detectif1061it doesn’t make sense to compare the current to the most recent staff etc?? Nobody is obsessed with purple face in south bend believe that but it sure does make sense to look at the success he had. Though he didn’t win anything meaningful and never will freeman’s ceiling is much much higher so that’s why the comparison is there since you needed a breakdown.

@@detectif1061agreed. ND fans need to find a way to let the BK thing go. Don’t get me wrong. I understand the feeling of rejection they must have. Getting dumped for a better looking partner is tough on the ego.

i didnt need a breakdown at all you just felt the need to type a bunch of nonsense, my team actually wins nattys and we have your teams old coach who will win a natty here, be careful making assumptions buddy.@@jakepiper4289

@@detectif1061 Nope. You're obsessed with believing that we are obsessed. We are very happy to have Freeman over Kelly. You are welcome to him.

That statement is missing context. First, ESPN and the B1G had the longest-running relationship ever until the B1G ended it last year. Now NBC is also a partner with the B1G and initial reports are that NBC is very pleased with the ROI so far that's going to increase with the PAC-12 teams. There's a reason NBC/ND won't release details of their new contract because it's not the same as the old contract. It's rumored that it's a sliding scale based on ND's quality of schedule and no longer an annual flat rate. And I'm pretty sure there are incentives in there for ND to join the B1G so there won't be anymore double dipping on crossover games.

congrats.

@@heartbreak25 1. As you said, the Big Ten and ESPN are no longer partners, which makes NBC's relationship with ND the longest continuing relationship for broadcast rights in college football. 2. There are no special incentives for ND to join the B1G in the deal with NBC. Neither side would ever enter into such a deal. ND would not want to be boxed in and forced to join a conference; ABC/ESPN would gladly give them the same money and not pressure them into a conference. Furthermore, the B1G would not do such a deal either. They do not need ND and the member schools would never agree to pay ND more to join the conference. If ND wants to join the B1G, they would have the same payout as everyone else. 3. I haven't been able to find any information on any deal between NBC and ND since the original 5 year $38 million deal they did in 1991. So that doesn't mean anything. In fact, the AD of ND has said that if they cannot get the revenue they need being an independent, they would join a conference. The fact that they re-upped with NBC means they got paid.

@@heartbreak25the reason is they’re a private university and they never release those numbers for any contract

@@micah7405 The last TV deal was reported by ND so they could flex. They're not flexing anymore...

Only team in cfb with an international following. Was blessed to go to the navy game in Ireland in 2012 and tons of Dubliners said they watched games whenever they could. Jameson distillery created special bottles for the game. Very very cool experience

Absolutely agree! As a die-hard fan from Taiwan, I've followed Notre Dame for over 20 years, even traveling to South Bend for nine games. Critics like Stephen A. Smith overlook our global fan base and rich tradition. Despite their skepticism, I stand proudly with fellow Irish supporters worldwide. Go Irish!

Maybe "overrated" is the wrong term. But I think ND gets trashed because whether it be big regular season games, New Year's 6 or Playoff games- They don't show up. 🤷🏿

​@@OpenMikein7The majority of the country doesn't show up for those games. The majority of the country doesn't even make those games.

@davidboniface858 ND gets on the big stage and gets bodied just about every time. I think their called "overrated" because ND will go 11-1 or undefeated vs their schedule, play a top 5 program and get destroyed. People will say you might as well have let cincinnati or ucf take the Irish spot.. them losing a lot and not really being competitive doesn't help your argument.

Part of it is them not winning a BCS/NY6 Bowl Game in 25 years while plenty of programs not thought of as on the same level have won multiple (TCU, UCF, etc)

@@ZMack1023 This is where the "ND is overrated" argument takes a turn. Most reasonable ND fans will admit that ND gets preferential treatment when it comes to bowl selection because of the amount of money that ND can generate. However, this works against ND's favor because they end up getting placed in higher-tier bowls and matched against better opponents than what they should. You can look at the betting lines of past ND bowl games and see that they're RARELY favored to win because money has been the driving factor in a lot of the matchups, not competion.

@@jdonahue173notre dame outsides of the playoffs have been winning the majority of their bowls tho. Lol.

@@ZMack1023 fair enough

I think Auburn is a bigger brand going forward with hugh freeze and being the coach who beat Saban more than Kirby and recruiting is better !

Any program that has a fanbase as big as them can be independent and negotiate such a deal. There's a reason why they're the only program that could sustain independence for such a long time.

@@davidboniface858 and any program that does it will be hated as such. Not denying their sustainability or prestige, just correcting/explaining where the hate comes from.

@@CJSHO the hate is dumb. Being in a conference doesn't mean anything. Fans put too much meaning into being in a conference. It was just a geographical agreement between similar teams. There's nothing more to it. Not being in one doesn't make you better either. It's just a good financial situation for a team. That's all.

@@davidboniface858 just speaking my own experience. Started watching ball at beginning of BCS era and teams were required to win conference to qualify for BCS bowl. So the conf was very relevant. Since ND was not in one, they simple had to finish in top 8 to qualify. I thought this was unfair and kinda special treatment

@@CJSHOfeel sorry for you and you have zero idea about what’s fair or not if that is the extent of your college football experience. It used to be top 2 teams or before that the top teams that the AP believed should play or splitting a championship. You’re hating because you hate.

Thats true

Or Michigan? Or about 100+ other teams?

And how many of those bowls was ND favored to win?

@@Necile2 Results are what matter.

@@Educated2Extinction So?

@Necile2 Let me know if you decide to make a point.

I think with the prior playoff system, ND might have buckeld to loin a conference. however; now that it's expanded to 12, there's no reason too. South bend is a terrible location to build a football empire. them going independent and playing nationwide was the smartest thing they did. being in the bigten would have put a ceiling on their growth.

The Big 10 might have either wanted a piece of ND's NBC contract or force them to break it.

​@@williamw3501 Why is South Bend "a terrible place to build a football empire"? What a dumb and lazy take. Like Columbus or Ann Arbor is any better? In fact, Ann Arbor gets colder than SB does!

@ramboeastwood1522 I should have said when it started. a program is typically good as it is location and recruited potential. Michigan and Ohio state started before notre dame did. even today, the area is crowded. whereas someone like usc has no basically no competition between Texas and Oregon. notre dame was the first team to go out of its way to become a national brand so it could recruit nationwide. if they stayed in the midwest the past 100 years, it would have suffocated constantly competing with osu and michigan. compound that with the academics, it would have likely turned into a northwestern or Stanford. it's not an insult. it was a smart move by notre Dame.

@ramboeastwood1522 dose that makes sense? indiana has a small population. where back on the 40s, the Detroit metro area was huge and had talent pool. Ohio has a lot of talent to pull from, plus if Go East michigan, penn State,Ohio state, take take the pick there too. that's why it seldom to see two programs right next door being really competitive at the same time.

Auburn football look up their tv ratings and talent composite and in a state with no NFL teams makes them so special

Miami will be taking that ngl hall of fame spot from nd in 5 yrs

How many other teams have a losing record against OSU? Why are you singling out ND?

Last time they win a ship it was stolen from Miami in 1988 with a horrendous call against Cleveland Gary. Miami wins they win the ship. Asterix

@@jaimealvarezmd7245 Kind of like how ND got screwed out of the 1993 championship by FSU, right?

A conference doesn't make you recruit better. Maryland isn't all of a sudden a great recruiter because they have a Big Ten sticker. Either you have the staff or you don't.

@davidboniface858 Maryland is not and has NEVER been at NDs level. Going the big ten gives ND more exposure to athletes, 5 star and portal athletes who may have opted for Ohio State, Michigan, and Southern Cal, ALL who have won national titles since we last won one. Plus no way ND win 3 games in a playoff against elite teams. It ain't going to happen

@@Trebor1960 In what way does ND not have exposure to those 5 star athletes now? ND's independence allows them the schedule flexibility to play games from coast to coast, rather than being limited to a certain geographical region. Their deal with the ACC allows them to play games in Florida, Virginia, and North Carolina and their rivalries with USC and Stanford allow them to play in California every year. They will usually throw in neutral site games in New York, Texas or Chicago. The only limit ND has recruiting-wise is their high academic standards, which automatically reduces the available recruiting pool by about 30-40%. Those standards are not changing anytime soon. There are valid arguments to be made for ND joining a conference. Recruiting is not one. Conference affiliation does absolutely NOTHING for ND's recruiting.

​​@@Trebor1960that will do nothing. ND can't get more than 1 or 2 5-stars typically is because there are only around 55 of them so finding a bunch of those kids with the grades is difficult. then when you do find the kids with the grades you still have to out recruit local schools in the south and on the west coast as well as convince them that they NEED an ND degree when many of them are only focused on making the league. Not to mention that not many power 4 football players going to any school don't have a job lined up if it's not in the NFL. Nike basically hands jobs to Oregon players. I genuinely don't know how anyone can expect them to get as many 5 stars as Miami, Ohio State, Bama, Georgia or insert whatever 3rd and 4th SEC team is hot that year on a consistent basis. Is it possible to have years where they can? 100% But being in a conference doesn't fix that. Winning literally anything does. Win a playoff game or better yet a championship that is the biggest improvement ND can make to there recruiting pitch. And that is extremely possible. We saw Washington and TCU win playoff games with recruiting classes outside of the top 25. We saw Michigan win a Natty and Notre Dame perpetually out recruits Michigan in the rankings. There are no more excuses when teams like that can win. None. Zero. And once they do win something of relevance for the first time in essentially 40 years, Notre Dame will unlock a new level to there recruiting. But these kids have parents who weren't alive last time ND won.

@@jdonahue173 interesting assessment we just disagree.

This is why the SEC had one of their worst overall performances in over a decade. It leveled the playing field (for the teams that have the money). I'm happy to see them start to invest proportionately to elite teams again. It will pay off eventually.

Delusion is fun ain't it

@@jaimealvarezmd7245I'm guessing you would know alot about delusional

@@jaimealvarezmd7245 And jealousy is hideously ugly.

Sane with miami so don't fall off your high horse

Yeah, good thing there are no insufferable Michigan fans.

ND fan here. I can assure you most ND fans have been aware of the new playoff rules for a couple years and are totally fine with it. If anything it could be seen as an advantage for us. If you see any ND fans complaining online they either haven’t thought it through completely or they don’t have all the information

I’m surprised at how comfortable you are with other entities that do not have your interests at heart dictating your future I think ND in the end will be forced to join a conference either because the money gap is just to big for them to compete, cut off access to play anyone in the big 2 or lose access to the playoff. I think if they wait until after the ACC is broke up and we know who the teams are that make the cut the likelihood that the Big Ten or SEC would let them in drops dramatically because they just won’t need them and in fact them being independent is taking money and attention away from there programs

@@johnboltz2768 I just don’t agree with that last part. ND will have no issue finding a conference to join if they are forced to. The brand and revenue stream is just too big. That’s why other conferences like the Big 10 have already come to the door begging for them to join. No one is going to say no to a brand that big.

@@johnboltz2768 The thought of ND not being welcomed with open arms by any conference is laughable. I say that not because ND has had any great recent success on the field, but because of the amount of revenue that ND would generate for a conference. One of the main reasons the ND football program has been able to stay independent for so long is because of the enormous amount of money they are able to generate on their own. Every conference would be falling all over themselves to add those revenue dollars. The only way ND will ever be forced into a conference is if their path to a national championship is ever blocked. As long as ND has a way into the playoff, they'll stay independent. Also - no reasonable ND fan is complaining about the playoff structure. ND doesn't have to play a conference championship game, so they essentially have an easier path to get into the playoff.

@@jdonahue173 I think I need to clarify right now you are correct ND is the biggest fish out there that is not already committed they are not the biggest brand overall. What will happen over time is little by little they will be cut off that is why ESPN is so public ally going after them. I think ND would be an awesome addition especially to the Big Ten for so many reasons I won’t get into. I guess CV my point is they are on a time clock the will at some point be fired to join a conference the longer they wait the more risk they run at being shut out of it all. They won’t destroy you over night they will little by little isolate you the fact that ESPN is attacking you so blatantly is a sign a shot across the bow saying there has been a massive shift in power and you will either jump on the wagon or we will slowly and methodically tear you down. We start with public persecution then once that target is achieved we go for your games like USC if that does do it then we keep tearing you down but by bit until no one even remembers anything good ND has ever done. Then once public perception is what they need it to be you will be totally cut off. When you are independent you have no ally’s or anyone that will stick up for you. When you had 5 conferences and divided power you could get away with that but not that all the power is consolidating you will join or tossed on the scrapbook of history

I mean, they already have with the Denbrock hire, and the Golden extension 😆

Everyone knows it's jealousy. Those haters actually think they're fooling people.

If...😅

Agreed but i think with the coaches they have, they have the opportunity to turn that around.

The majority of the country hasn't even made a playoff game or has performed just as bad as Notre Dame

Oklahoma is a better program over the last 10 years than ND.

ND just beat the crap out of Clemson in 2022.

@@Necile2 that was two years ago. Things have changed since then. Just ask Nick Saban

@@WangHungLo It was a year and a half ago. And they still beat the crap out of Clemson.

@@Necile2 Notre Dame sucks. They got exposed by a freshman quarterback

Notre Dame is 32-2 in the last 34 games against the ACC. We would not be a 3-4 loss team as an ACC member.

@@NDMatador there's a difference between playing 34 games against the ACC and having a conference schedule. Over the course of x years it is easy to rack up wins against a conference, whereas back to back road games against a Clemson or a hot NC State could prove difficult. The only year they did this was in the 2020 COVID year. On top of that, if they're so confident that the ACC would be a clean sweep, why haven't they followed EVERY OTHER SPORT? And don't claim "because money/media". FSU has made it abundantly clear that money and media can be sued and detached from.

6 games a year vs ACC compared to 9 games, ND would still have an overwhelmingly winning record. That speaks to ND as a program and the ACC as a mid conference. ND already plays road back to backs every year against the ACC. Why hasn’t ND followed all other teams (except hockey) to the ACC? It’s very simple, we don’t have to.

32-2 against the ACC recently.. Please know your facts before writing a novel. 😂

@@NDMatador those “back to back” games were UVA and GT, a mid tier Clemson and Syracuse and Duke and UL for the past three years. That’s not impressive lol. Don’t get me wrong, yall are a good team each year but until you guys hit that ACC schedule or do something in the post season, ND will always be overrated. Also we need to stop acting like the ACC has any in conference depth. That conference is worse than the sun belt. I would love to see ND join the big 10