Why is notre dame independent

One small financial advantage to Notre Dame football remaining independent, though, is the fact that the College Football Playoff awards a base amount of money to independent programs regardless of whether they make the Playoff, and Notre Dame gets the most.

With its all-but-football deal in the ACC, Notre Dame football doesn't get the same conference revenue share other programs get. But it also is not obligated to play what otherwise might be a boring and in many cases, weak schedule almost completely full of ACC opponents. Notre Dame is obligated to play just five ACC opponents per year, and the rest of the schedule is, for the most part, a blank slate of possibilities.

Last year and in the Fighting Irish played Georgia. They've renewed their rivalry with Michigan over the last couple seasons. Texas and Oklahoma have clashed with Notre Dame in the last decade. This is a great deal for Notre Dame football fans, who don't have to watch their team play the same eight or nine teams every year. And Notre Dame football deserves credit for generally scheduling tough opponents in those open, non-ACC slots. The TV networks love this, too.

Last year's Notre Dame-Georgia game was such a big deal to CBS, the network sacrificed its only prime-time window of the season to show the game at 8 p. ET window later in the season.

Notre Dame vs. Georgia ended up being the second-highest rated game of the regular season followed by, of course, LSU vs. Answer questions around the match-up for your chance to win.

Terms and …. Please enter an email address. Something went wrong. Nothing has changed for Notre Dame, whose 12 games have been set for some time, but the fact it didn't change signifies the program's desire to stay independent, at least for one more season. ACC teams are back to their 8-game conference schedule with four non-conference games.

Notre Dame plays just one game against an ACC opponent that had a winning record in To read my first glance look at each team click HERE. Notre Dame still has room to add one more opponents to the schedule. That ethos has guided the university and athletic department in all decisions since then. To read part one of this series click HERE. To read part two of the series click HERE.

Part four will be out tomorrow, so look for it! Be sure to check out the Irish Breakdown message board, the Champions Lounge. Notre Dame Scholarship Offers.

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