Notre Dame treasures independence, but it's not so simple anymore
By Dennis Dodd | CBSSports.com Senior Writer Follow DennisSCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Jack Swarbrick has a 97-year-old answer when asked about Notre Dame's independence.
"At the turn of the 20th century, Notre Dame was indistinguishable from 120-plus Catholic and college universities in the United States," Notre Dame's athletic director said. "That changed principally on Nov. 1, 1913, when a remarkable, rag-tag football team went to West Point and beat Army."
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| Jack Swarbrick is a romantic about Notre Dame's past and tradition, but he's also a realist. (Getty Images) |
Independence has been a little more complicated than that through the years. Swarbrick tried to explain it, again, to a group of reporters Thursday at the BCS meetings. The central question remains which way ND is leaning if, as he describes, it there are "seismic" shifts in the conference affiliation.
"It's about monitoring the changing landscape," Swarbrick said.
With the Big Ten contemplating expansion, Swarbrick dropped a fairly large bomb in March to reporters at the Big East Tournament. It was one of the few times -- if ever -- any ND administrator had deviated from the straight-and-narrow stance that the school would always be independent in football.
Swarbrick left the door open a crack once again Thursday. It is a member of the Big East almost every other sport but football. ND president Fr. John Jenkins is the chairman of Big East presidents. However ...
"There are things that are large enough to challenge our ability to remain independent and remain in the Big East," Swarbrick said.
Of course, he wouldn't specify those "things" but you can figure them out. The challenge would come from the Big Ten adding up to four teams, helping collapse the Big East in the process and leaving Notre Dame out on an athletic island.
Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany reiterated Wednesday that it's going to be a while before his conference does anything. But if Notre Dame were forced to join the league, it would take away a bit of Swarbrick's independent romanticism.
"It has everything to do with our identity," he said. "It's where our family comes together. It's where we celebrate."
It's been 22 years since Notre Dame's last national championship. It has been to only three BCS bowls in the 12-year-old BCS era. The irony is that Notre Dame has the Big Ten to thank for its independence. As the program grew in stature, the Western Conference -- predecessor to the Big Ten -- refused to play Notre Dame. Coaches Jess Harper and later Knute Rockne were forced to play a series of barnstorming games around the country that a) raised money and b) ND's profile.
That's pretty much the case now as Notre Dame gets back to its roots. This season it is playing Navy at Meadowlands Stadium and Army at Yankee Stadium.
Swarbrick did acknowledge that there are forces at work that might force his school's hand. The school is surrounded by Big Ten members Indiana and Purdue, which each get a check for $22 million annually from the conference. Notre Dame's one-time industry-leading contract with NBC (estimated at $15 million per season) now lags behind.
Notre Dame and the Big Ten have been down this road before. At least twice before, there have been talks between the two. Most recent was in 1999, when Notre Dame turned down a Big Ten invitation.
There is a feeling that it won't get that far this time. Big Ten bylaws require a school to apply or, in Notre Dame's case, come begging on its hands and knees. There was a Boston Globe report on Wednesday that Notre Dame was out of the Big Ten expansion mix.
It's obvious that Delany is seeking new markets to expand the reach of the Big Ten Network, which became profitable in slightly more than two years.
"You could see the consequence of the Big Ten Network," Swarbrick said. "What's the natural progression? Where does this lead?"
