Conference realignment's coming in hot this week, and once again, Notre Dame's the best-looking girl at the high school dance. For the sake of the University, we need to end up in the ACC over the Big Ten.
It's much more exciting as a Notre Dame fan to envision an ACC schedule. Michigan and Michigan State are iconic, and Wisconsin's enticing, but I would rather get dragged naked over a cactus then get forced to watch low-energy games against mediocre state school programs (see Illinois, Minnesota, Indiana, etc.). On the contrary, we could stoke the fire against perennial powers Miami, Florida State, Clemson and Virginia Tech, while keeping in touch with familiar foes Pitt and BC. FSU? The U? We'd forget Sparty and Purdue real quick and never look back.
Let's not forget that behind this whole circus are actual universities where real people go to get authentic degrees. If Notre Dame wants to associate with universities that share a similar commitment to academics, the move needs to be to the ACC. U.S. News rankings show that as it stands, the new ACC has seven top 40 universities. The new Big 10 only has two. Where it matters — in the classroom — that's like Tyson fighting an infant.
We can hide under a rock in the Midwest, where everyone already knows we're an elite academic institution, or conquer the entire Eastern seaboard. Out there, some absurd people actually consider Georgetown our Catholic equal. Trust me, I had to deal with it growing up. But seriously, the Notre Dame name rings much louder out here in fly-over states than it does in civilized America (the East coast). Let's go raise our visibility and enlighten the unenlightened.
Jack Swarbrick and Fr. John Jenkins, if improving the energy of our program, the academic quality of our opponents and the long-term reputation of our beloved institution are wrong, then I don't wanna be right. Also, a jumbotron wouldn't hurt, either.
In Notre Dame,
James Kachadoorian
senior
off campus
Sept. 19
