Notre Dame attempted to try and make a move to help get Cal and Stanford into the ACC as part of college football’s latest swing in realignment. However, a day later, reports emerged that the deal was not struck to bring the Golden Bears and Cardinal into the conference despite the Fighting Irish’s best efforts. Notre Dame’s Athletic Director spoke out on Thursday about why the program tried to send them a proverbial life raft.
Heather Dinich of ESPN posted, “ND AD Jack Swarbrick told me the reason they advocated for Cal and Stanford was because ‘The notion that two of the very best academic institutions in the world who also play D1 sports could be abandoned in this latest chapter of realignment is an indictment of college athletics.”
ND AD Jack Swarbrick told me the reason they advocated for Cal and Stanford was because “The notion that two of the very best academic institutions in the world who also play D1 sports could be abandoned in this latest chapter of realignment is an indictment of college athletics. https://t.co/b3rhc6Bd2A
— Heather Dinich (@CFBHeather) August 10, 2023
We’ve probably already lost the plot on conference realignment in college sports. With that being said, though, Swarbrick’s logic here is actually on the right track. Though they’ve dealt with their own hurdles, Cal and Stanford, much like everyone else, shouldn’t be left flailing their arms while conference realignment drives through the sport. Of course, logistically speaking, there are significant hurdles as far as travel goes. (And logic: Stanford and Cal, California schools, in the ACC. What’s next? Oklahoma and Missouri in the SEC? Wait. . .)
But to their dismay, at least right now, Cal and Stanford won’t be joining the ACC, despite Notre Dame’s best initial efforts. Time will tell to see if the ball bounces their way.
The CFB world reacted to the latest ACC realignment news after it emerged this morning.
It's also an indictment of Cal & Stanford's athletic departments, administrators, chancellors & presidents, & their massive lack of leadership and interest in the big-time side of college sport.
They've been pretending they're not actually a part of 'the sleaze' for a long time.
— Mark Schipper – 5th Down CFB (@5thDownCFB) August 10, 2023
He’s got to realize that some of the biggest academic institutions in this country are not FBS and, for the most part, are not even Division I. Academics have nothing to do with athletics
— David Settle, CMT (@davidsettle42) August 10, 2023
Hear me out.
Notre Dame, Stanford, Cal, Army, Navy, Air Force
That's your conference. Sell it to NBC. ND has to take less, but ND has been taking less for years at this point. Army-Navy is a massive TV property. Those are teams that teams in other leagues would schedule OOC. https://t.co/5p9cddMhr7
— Andy Staples (@Andy_Staples) August 10, 2023
This is logical if you ignore that Notre Dame refusing to join the ACC has made about eight other very strong academic schools similarly vulnerable to the whims of Florida State and Clemson https://t.co/W5teeAMeNR
— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) August 10, 2023
Every other league makes biz decisions on realignment but the ACC should be charitable and not abandon two of the best academic institutions in the world? From a school that does not play football in said league facing significant revenue gaps w/SEC, Big Ten. Make it make sense. https://t.co/3MQb2uFh3e
— Andrea Adelson (@aadelsonESPN) August 10, 2023
Notre Dame wants Stanford in the ACC because they can leverage their annual game with them as one of their 5 ACC contests each year and then independently schedule an extra home game every other season to sell to NBC in the next TV negotiation.
But ND can't just openly say that. https://t.co/LWKnv6sBkO
— Mikey in DFW (@MDWDFW) August 10, 2023
the 8th corporal work of mercy: adding Cal and Stanford to the ACC https://t.co/LW2dN3EHpB
— Jessica Smetana (@jessica_smetana) August 10, 2023
If only we could think of something Notre Dame could do to get the ACC more money to where it could afford such charity https://t.co/Z1jhtNMkGD
— Lauren Brownlow (@lebrownlow) August 10, 2023
in this tumultuous era of college athletics, it's good to see that some traditions (notre dame acting like sanctimonious pricks while holding the conference they're leeching off of hostage) are still sacred https://t.co/eNZHk9WPfO
— The Smoking Musket (@smokingmusket) August 10, 2023
Good on Swarbrick for calling a spade a spade here, even if Stanford and Cal in the ACC doesn't make total sense as a solution. https://t.co/dC35TncqKC
— Pete Sampson (@PeteSampson_) August 10, 2023
He said do it for the love of the game lol https://t.co/WpWDdEp7z5
— Cyrus Smith (@CoolCyWrites) August 10, 2023
