Irish Breakdown

Three Years Later, This Wild Notre Dame Take Looks Even Worse

How on God's green earth is Notre Dame still independent?
Nick Shepkowski|
Apr 12, 2025; Notre Dame, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman smiles during the Blue-Gold game at Notre Dame Stadium.
Apr 12, 2025; Notre Dame, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman smiles during the Blue-Gold game at Notre Dame Stadium. | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

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Three years ago today (June 30), the college sports world was rocked with the news that UCLA and USC were moving from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten starting with the 2024 fall sports season. Not long after, Oregon and Washington made the same move, marking the unofficial end of the Pac-12, at least as we once knew it.

It was also when this news broke that seemingly everyone and their mother couldn't get Notre Dame football out of their mouths. Out of a place built almost certainly on their desires, many had the countdown on for Notre Dame to finally ditch independence and join a conference for football.

ESPN's Adam Rittenberg was one of many to get sourced information about how others viewed Notre Dame and its future independence.

Fast forward three years and this source's opinion has aged like milk in the summer sun.

Not only has Notre Dame continued its football independence, it has thrived in it. Last year saw head coach Marcus Freeman lead Notre Dame to a national championship game appearance, despite the whole independent thing, and future schedules remain plenty strong for the Fighting Irish.

Rittenberg reports what he hears, so this isn't meant as a knock on him whatsoever. It is always important to consider where sourced information is coming from, and what stake that person may have. In Rittenberg's case, having strong connections to the Big Ten for years, the chances that the source was a Big Ten stakeholder of some kind are significant.

Regardless, Rittenberg's tweet about Notre Dame's independence instability was reposted and obliterated by Fighting Irish fans on Monday. Below are just a few of the most notable responses.

Notre Dame Football Has Skyrocketed Since

I would argue that it took a few steps back after Freeman's first two months (home losses to Marshall and Stanford), but has rebounded and come back its strongest in 30 years since.

Unsustainable, Huh?

Said with Sarcasm, but Possibly Not Far Off

Nick Shepkowski's Quick Takeaway:

Notre Dame remains independent, and each summer, usually during baseball's All-Star week, the question is asked as to whether it will be able to maintain.

As long as Notre Dame has a path to play in the College Football Playoff (that has only gotten better since the above report) and as long as it can schedule marquee opponents (that remains true even with USC likely ditching the annual series), it will remain independent as the TV money will be close enough to keep it in reach of those in the Big Ten and SEC, it'll remain independent - which means for those waiting on the Irish to join a conference for football - they'll be waiting a while.

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Nick Shepkowski
NICK SHEPKOWSKI

Managing Editor for Notre Dame On SI. Started covering Chicago sports teams for WSCR the Score, and over the years worked with CBS Radio, Audacy, NBC Sports, and FOX Sports as a contributor before running the Notre Dame wire site for USA TODAY.

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