Will Notre Dame ever become elite again?

I am sure that Navy has a fine squad worthy of recognition, but I don't think it should ever be the case that ND loses to them at home.

Is it correct that last year was their first victory in 15 years? We had tough years but 15 straight without a bowl win?

Last four recruiting class rankings:

2006 #8
2007 #8
2008 #2
2009 #21

Per Rivals, but that would seem like enough talent to win more than they have.

I wonder if they are going to get the ship righted.

Hook'em

 

the right coach can come in there an win immediately.

they only need 10 wins for a BCS berth.

also, you can be damn sure if they are ever undefeated they'll be #1 in the country, no matter what their SOS looks like, or what other teams are doing.

they just need the right coach to manage the program.

 

Yes. They have too much of the physical, fiinancial, and historic infrastructure in place to not become a power. It may not happen next year... but it will happen.

 

Urban Meyer

 

They just need better schematics

 

no

 

National media is making a big deal about northern v. southern schools and can northern powers compete with southern ones. What a bunch of crap. As a ballplayer, I would much prefer to play a game at 30 degrees than 100 degrees.

Not to mention, as the OP suggested, ND gets plenty of talent. Weis is just an incompetent douche. Willingham was just crappy (his UW stint proved that). Davie was a solid DC, but not an HC. They just are trying to find their coach - just like we did for 20 years.

 

The NBC contract is the only thing keeping ND close to the "elite" level right now. Without funding from that contract, and no conference affiliation, I don't know how they could compete for recruits, coaching talent, etc.

I think ND's problem is that it has a large following (what aggy likes to call "T-shirt fans"), but a relatively small alumni base from which it can draw. Therefore, it depends on the NBC contract for more money than its alumni. If these so-called T-shirt fans ever stop watching ND on TV and NBC drops the Gomers, they'll be in for a tough haul.

And personally, I wouldn't give two shits if that happened. I love tradition as much as the next guy, but there's plenty of tradition in college football without a small, private, Catholic school that things it **** doesn't stink (which is why it has its own TV deal and refuses to join a conference). We'd still have Texas. We'd still have Alabama. We'd still have USC. We'd still have Michigan. We'd still have Nebraska. We'd still have Penn State. College football wouldn't suffer one bit if Notre Dame fell by the wayside, much like A&M.

 

Notre Dame made a mistake of arrogance and not moving into the future. They remained too full of themselves, tried to live in the 40s and 50s with their schedule, and aimed for the glory of an NBC television contract and shunned joining the Big East in football and developing a meaningful schedule.

They should have joined the Big East. (Penn State used to be an independent. They joined the Big Ten).
Maintained non-conference games with Michigan, Army and Navy.
Played USC every four years, alternating with Stanford or take-your-pick.
So that's 8 conference games (there would then be 9 teams in the Big East) and 4 non-conference games.

It would be a big step to stop being an Independent, but since we no longer have 8-track stereo decks, chrome bumpers, and since everybody is on TV every week, why not move on into the future? You know, join the rest of us and take part like everyone else.

Personally, I think you're afraid you can't even win the Big East. Remember.... in a conference, over time, you develop rivals that find ways to be your biggest nightmare, and you actually have to beat the record of others in your own conference.

Notre Dame has beat themselves.
Pride goeth before the fall. And if ever there was a program so full of pride and vanity... it was and will forever be, Notre Dame.

 

As Jerry Seinfeld would say, "That's a shame".

 

Fifteen minutes after they name Bryan Kelly as their new head coach in a couple of months (That is gonna happen.), they will be relevant again.

It will be interesting to speculate where Jabba the Weiss winds up in the NFL.

 

ND football needs to join the Big Eleven. That will give them 12 teams and they can have a conference championship game like the big xii and the other conferences. their ******* arrogance prevents them from doing so. f**k ND and everything they stand for until they change their arrogant attitude.

 

Notre Dame, its alumni, and its t-shirt fans are by far the most arrogant fans in the world for any sport.

 

Notre Dame needs to get over themselves first and then hire a better football coach. They don't need to join a conference.

They'd be crazy to give up what they've got right now. A solo TV contract to guarantee all of their games are on TV (good TV, not ****** TV like Versus), they only have to be the 14th best team in the country to get a BCS bowl game, and they don't have to share their BCS wealth with a bunch of have-nots who don't pull their own weight. Hell, Texas would probably be much better off going independent if we could get the same deal and keep OU and A&M on the schedule every year. Forget being screwed over the Big 12 every year (horrible TV contracts, stupid *** tie-breaker rules, only 2 teams are ever any good, etc.).

 

With the right coach ND can absolutely get back to elite status.

 

If by elite you mean get into a BCS game where they get their asses kicked, then yes.

 

It's never not funny when Notre Damn loses.

 

Kelly's gonna cure a lot of Neutered Dame's problems. He'll win enough to allow them to maintain their sweetheart deal with NBC. They don't have to share any money with any other schools, nor do they have to win every game to make the BCS bowls.

Where can we get a deal like that? The answer to the question is yes. The right coach can do wonders for the Catholics, and Kelly's the right coach. I wish he'd keep his word and stay in Cincy, but that ain't happening.

 

Not if I can help it.

 

Without funding from that contract, and no conference affiliation, I don't know how they could compete for recruits, coaching talent, etc.
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that nbc contract isnt that big a deal, its a nationally televised game but money wise, i think ND only gets around 5 million a year for that deal. That kind of money is around 1/2 a home game for us.

 

T-Shirt fans that are Catholic. The largest religion in the United States. I don't know where you are from but you go to some ethnic neighborhoords in New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and you will see some hard core ND fans.

You don't see it as much in the Bible Belt but there is that religious connection among the Irish, Italians, Eastern European descent that is heavily Catholic and they are more than T-Shirt fans.

Texas has 10X as many T-Shirt fans as ND. The ND fans are religious fans, not T-Shirt fans.

Somebody mentioned that ND only gets $5M a year from the television revenue and Texas gets that for a single home game. Notre Dame also gets revenue for home games, 80K people and their PSA for seats go up every year, unlike Texas. I would think on Average, the PSA at Notre Dame is two to three times as much as Texas.

I know this because my Aunt has had season tickets at ND since 1964 and for her two seats, the license has gone from $100 in 1977 to over $2500/seat in 2009. Then you have to buy the tickets. I became a Texas season ticket holder in 1996, paid $450 for my PSA, still paying $450 or $225/seat.

Don't compare how much Notre Dame makes vs. Texas, I have a feeling that ND in a down year and Texas in an up year would be close.

They are the only college football team that can have their own contract and survive without a conference. Texas could not secure a national TV contract like Notre Dame.

 

If we played big time teams like USC, Michigan and of course OU, every year, we could.

 

No we couldn't because we wouldn't win every year and our T-Shirt fans would disappear.

ND can have losing season after losing season and still be gaining fans or at least maintaining fans.

When we have a couple of down years in the future, you will see our popularity drop like a rock, hence we would not be able to sustain a national TV contract. We don't have national appeal based on anything other than us winning.

 

They did win a bowl game last year. Now Aggy is on the clock for longest streak I believe.

 

Love to see ND stumble, agree with many that they are way to proud of themselves.

However, there is no question that they can rebound quickly with the right guy. They are considered the most valuable football program in the country by Forbes. Their football operations generate a profit of about $50 M per year. This is without going to a BCS bowl which would dump another $18 M on their total.

As some pointed out, they would be foolish to join a conference for football right now (they already joined for other sports). There are lots of reasons to dislike ND but the fact that they negotiated great deals for themselves isnt one of them. That mistake is on the BCS and TV guys.

I do not think Bryan Kelly is the right guy. I have heard Gruden's name come up and I don't like that either. Meyer is the right guy but most likely won't come now. Although he might if he goes back to back with Florida this year.

My guess is very discreet inquiries into the Meyer camp. if he is willing they will get him at $4 M or so per year. If not, Weis will get another year. I also think they might make a run at Stoops.

 

Neutered Dame has amorous dreams at night about Meyer, but for reasons covered ad nauseum in previous posts, chances are slim and none, and slim ain't catching up, that Meyer leaves Gainesville.

I'm no fan of the Irish, and have no inside information, but my gut tells me you can stick a fork in Weiss...he's done after losing to Navy. I seriously doubt they have any ambitions of going after Stoops, but I think Notre Dame would snap up Bryan Kelly in a heartbeat as the consolation prize for not getting Meyer.