Why would Notre Dame vote to bring Stanford and Cal to the ACC?
As of Thursday morning, it seems that the ACC’s discussions about adding Stanford and Cal are going nowhere. The ACC does not appear to have the necessary number of votes among its members to approve an invitation to the Cardinal and the Golden Bears. Yet, that’s not the full story.
It was revealed on Wednesday that Notre Dame has a vote among ACC member schools on the Stanford-and-Cal agenda item. Notre Dame is not a full member of the ACC. It is not part of the ACC in football. It plays several ACC teams each season and plays within the ACC in non-football sports, but it is not a football member of the conference. Why Notre Dame would therefore get a vote on this and other urgent ACC matters is a point of considerable debate. As you could imagine, it’s a point of frustration among other ACC members, which is probably why a vote to approve Stanford and Cal to the conference will ultimately fail. There will be enough voices at the table to insist that Notre Dame must not get its way.
One obvious question: What “is” Notre Dame’s way? What is Notre Dame’s bigger play here? What’s the ultimate purpose of wanting Stanford and Cal in the ACC from the Irish’s point of view?
The biggest reason for ND’s stance on Stanford and Cal to the ACC is this: It’s all about the College Football Playoff.
Think about it: If Stanford and Cal are pulled out of the Pac-4, it becomes that much more possible that the Pac-12 dissolves and fully ceases to exist.
What is the consequence of that scenario if it happens? A Power Five conference dies, and with it die all those revenue distributions and allocations for the playoff and the NCAA Tournament. Notre Dame, as an independent, would not have to deal with an automatic playoff spot for the Pac-12 in future seasons. Stanford and Cal staying in the Pac-4 and working out an arrangement with the Mountain West in which the Pac-12 keeps its playoff spot and playoff money distributions would represent one small but real obstacle toward Notre Dame making the playoff every year. Killing off the Pac-12 in an official (logistical, bureaucratic, structural) way would significantly increase the Irish’s playoff odds.
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Now that you’ve gained that answer, watch how fans and pundits reacted to the news that Notre Dame actually does get a vote in the ACC. It was, as you could imagine, a firestorm:
BIG NEWS
Am told Notre Dame, as a full voting member of the ACC, is pushing hard for the additions of Stanford and Cal. That "full voting member" part is … something. Writing on this shortly.
— Larry Williams (@LarryWilliamsTI) August 9, 2023
FUN TIMES
I wanna know which president or AD responded with “you first” https://t.co/uT3hSeTw5l
— Joe Ovies (@joeovies) August 9, 2023
SERIOUSLY
tell us how much you hate the Big Ten without telling us how much you hate the Big Ten https://t.co/BS55DpFPOV
— Kegan Reneau (@KeganReneau) August 9, 2023
NOT ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY
We may be witnessing ACC fracture widening here in real time.https://t.co/2AIIFINWnJ
— Greg Flugaur (@flugempire) August 9, 2023
NO ONE UNDERSTANDS
Can someone make this make sense? ND is a "full voting member" without being a full member? https://t.co/u4H5qgkH72 pic.twitter.com/NYtVYEsIDI
— Go Noles 🍢🔥 (@TKFSU) August 9, 2023
ACC FANS ARE UNITED ON THIS ONE
If they get to vote as a full member then the ACC needs to make them become a full member. You’re either in or you’re out. https://t.co/m8aV8SsKN1
— Jordan Falls (@JordanFalls) August 9, 2023
MANY IN ACC MARKETS WOULD AGREE
If the ACC gave Notre Dame full voting rights without their football program then I’m all for dissolving the conference. https://t.co/UKRzDXvx8q
— Tyler Samples (@tsampys25) August 9, 2023
RIGHT?
And in exchange ND is joining the ACC for football… right? https://t.co/FYWgahPlhG
— TallyBull (@TallyBull) August 9, 2023
QUID PRO QUO
The follow-up question for Notre Dame would be, I presume, "So what are you going to do for us?" Help me help you. https://t.co/y9CHCsrseI
— Brian Murphy (@murphsturph) August 9, 2023
THE CHORUS GROWS
I think I speak for all of us….if this doesn't tie back to ND joining ACC as full time member including football….why should any of us really care? https://t.co/vYUdkCbdnC
— Danny Grace (@Dgrace75) August 9, 2023
GREAT QUESTION
Does this cause the Big Ten to reevaluate Cal and Stanford? https://t.co/SEZwZ7EUv5
— Marcos (@TheCoster) August 9, 2023
DIFFERENT TUNE
All the benefits, none of the obligations.
I really do understand how so many fanbases hate @NDFootball, but I do love us flying in the face of convention and standing alone.
Just admit- if you could do it over, you probably would too. https://t.co/8fUngAHYQ4
— Brian K (@BrianKellar) August 9, 2023
YES -- WHY?
But why? https://t.co/As1CxYPSgt
— Brandon (@JustB_510) August 9, 2023
PUZZLER
https://t.co/NZk9tjpkOG pic.twitter.com/nfZKUoLNB0
— Michael Jacobs (@mikalvision) August 9, 2023
ACADEMICS
🤔
If FSU and Clemson leave, the ACC would almost rival the B1G in terms of academic reputation if this happened as only Cuse, BC, UL, NC St, Wake and Va Tech would be non-AAU members (two of those being otherwise well thought of private schools and Syracuse a former member) https://t.co/sBgePAsbP8
— Mark Rankin (@sugarbuzz12) August 9, 2023
EXCHANGE
Notre Dame…come on in full-time in football and then we can talk about whomever else you’d like to add. https://t.co/i0oNflii9L
— Travon Miles (@TrayABC11) August 9, 2023
IRISH VIEW
the pac-12 implodes and the ACC's media rights deal expires when methuselah dies and it's still "NOTRE DAME'S TO BLAME" on every square of the Jump To Conclusions mat #youlovetoseeit https://t.co/qfZ89nzmDa
— Irish Elvis (@IrishElvis) August 9, 2023
DID HE?
John Swofford killed the ACC along with Tobacco Road. https://t.co/MDQkvZBqMc
— 🐅 ACCxit 🐅 (@ClemsonCameron) August 9, 2023
OTHER CONFERENCES HAVE TO WANT FSU FIRST
If true, FSU gonna hit the door faster than Prime ran his 40 https://t.co/9OUBx3vji0
— Brian Ethridge (@BE_SicEm365) August 9, 2023
PLOT TWIST
Now that ND is in favor of this, I may reconsider my position. We shouldn't do this to make the girl who will never date us happy. https://t.co/CYc2OSwF0O
— BullCityCoordinators (@DukeFBCoverage) August 9, 2023