No, but it still wields a ton of power in college football, whether we like it or not. How many other colleges can say it basically has its own TV network? Texas tried and it's about to fold when it joins the SEC. No other team has been able to accomplish having its own network, so you have to respect that.
Numbers = people. Rest of what you said is pointless. The pie has gotten much bigger and they still have the same size slice. I wont try to convince you otherwise but remember, never go full taint.
How is ND garbage? It's the only independent school that still has national appeal and basically has had its own TV network for the past 35 YEARS! It's also the only college in the country that could pick which conference it wants to join (although I think they will stay an independent) and they would be accepted immediately. I'm not a ND fan, but facts are facts!
I have been preaching to my ND friends who are fans for years, the tipping point for ND joining a conference comes down to 1) can they independently continue to make money commiserate with being in a conference and 2) can they win a National Championship (or at least have a fair shake to get in) as an independent? I fully believe that with the current state of College Football (and possible realignments and who knows? only 4 big conferences in the near future?) that ND is falling behind the curve on being able to play for a National Championship without being in a conference. I think that is what tips them towards joining a conference.
As an institution probably not. I'm sure their academics are above that of most outside of the Ivy leagues. As for the rest of it, their football team sucks, they are overrated year after year simply because they are "notre dame". They get special treatment because "they are notre dame" it just goes on and on. The TV contract makes them a lot of money because NBC pays too much for it. They are one damn school with a shitty football team and I don't really care about their alumni. They should be treated like the other schools and if they were they would be somewhere between Kentucky and Arizona. Don't put them on a pedestal just because NBC and a bunch of talking heads do. They are selling you a line of shit!
The SEC only has 3 teams with a winning record against Notre Dame: Bama, Georgia & weirdly Kentucky. (?) All the rest of us don't, including the new comers, Texas & Oklahoma. I've always hated Notre Dame. No question they get favorable treatment. I especially disiike the fact that when they get anywhere near the Top 5, it takes damn near a Supreme Court decisicion to pry them out there, even after a bad loss. That has always bothered me. But if they ever join a conference, they will have a huge effect. Yep, they've been spotty & sort of mediocre since 1988, their last NC. But they do bring a good football history. Plus, they bring the fans & TV audience. Seems like it's always been this way.
How odd? There was another fella that used to dig up useless crap from decades ago that mean nothing. They aren't near what some of you knob gobblers think they are. They are doing exactly what you said here, living off of the ghost of days gone by. They suck and should be relegated to their proper position in the football pecking order which is just south of middle of the pack.
