Why Miami Football Potentially Going Independent Could Be Great News for Notre Dame

College football realignment has made traditions only harder to protect each year.

While almost annually, we see teams shift conferences and in recent years, have seen the Power Five dissolve into the Power Four, Notre Dame has remained true to its roots, and maintained its football independence.

Now, as the Fighting Irish have managed to zag while the rest of the college football world has zigged the last 35 or so years, could another blue blood be joining Notre Dame as an independent?

Notre Dame is set to host the No. 1 team in the nation in less than two weeks, but reports are out that Miami is interested in exploring the option to become independent in football. Sure, there is a marathon to go before it could come to be, but the idea of it alone should be music to any Notre Dame football fan's ears.

Miami Heading Towards Football Indpendence?

Miami president Joe Echevarria recently stated that one option the program could consider as the ACC continues to try and get its financials sorted out, is going independent in football.

He and Miami have also continued to say all the right things about the ACC, operating in good faith, but the ACC has long been believed to be a conference that is sort of, playing out its round.

Notre Dame has been able to maintain a national schedule, and one that is a lot more difficult than many give it credit for, while being an independent.

Miami is one of the bigger brands in college football, and would certainly make a compelling case as an indpendent, something it operated as from 1936 all the way through the 1990 seasons.

Of the three national championships it claims, three came as an independent.

Sure, college football has changed beyond belief since then, but it still happened, and perhaps gives Miami confidence in being able to attempt it again.

Why Notre Dame Would Benefit

For Notre Dame, Miami potentially becoming independent would be great news.

It would create another powerhouse independent program, and if Notre Dame was wise, it would immediately extend a hand to Miami to get a longterm annual series with the two programs on the books.

Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz and Miami head coach Jimmy Johnson before a game — Oct 1986; South Bend, IN, USA; FILE PHOTO; Miami Hurricanes head coach Jimmy Johnson and Notre Dame Irish head coach Lou Holtz talk prior the game at Notre Dame Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When BYU was an independent I thought Notre Dame should have attempted to do more to get it on the schedule more regularly, to encourage others to try independence, even if it was a longshot.

Miami would need some guarantees before bolting the ACC for independence, and Notre Dame would have a lot to gain by guaranteeing the Hurricanes on the schedule.

These are two old rivals that should already be playing more often than they do, and the potential move by Miami towards independence would strengthen the chances of that happening.

Nick Shepkowski's Quick Thoughts

I have no idea if Miami is ever going to be independent again, but I'm with the masses that think the ACC is going to be the next power conference to fall.

Its biggest powers have long wanted out, and where the likes of Miami, Florida State, and Clemson ultimately end up will play a part in reshaping where college football heads in the coming decades.

What I do know is that college football doesn't need anymore TV executives making decisions that reshape what has forever made the sport great.

It needs to improve its regular season, not expand the postseason.

Miami being independent and playing a national schedule like Notre Dame would be good for the sport, and perhaps it could help encourage Clemson and Florida State to follow suit.

October 15th, 1988: #4 Notre Dame beats #1 Miami in what is known as “Catholics vs Convicts” #GoIrish pic.twitter.com/qgsma0CYgy
— Back Then Football (@BackThenFB) October 15, 2026

Perhaps in this modern media world, Amazon could end up being to Miami what NBC was to Notre Dame in the early 1990's.

A wise man once said that "everyone would be independent if they could pull it off, but only Notre Dame can". Miami wouldn't be my first pick to have massive success with it in the modern college football world, but it wouldn't be terribly far down on the list, either.

For one, I hope I one day get to write the article about Miami officially becoming an independent, and then the one shortly after that announces the Notre Dame vs. Miami rivalry is again annual for the first time since 1990.

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