A Jersey Guy: Irish Eyes smiling on Big 12?
He just turned 68 and his seat at the Power 5 table is firmly planted.
But if you are Jack Swarbrick, who has been making power moves in South Bend for the past 15 years, is there one more hand you want to play?
While the Big 12 quietly goes about its business of reconstructing itself without the anchors of Texas and Oklahoma, absorbs new teams while transitioning OU and UT out of the mix AND searches for a commissioner to replace Bob Bowlby. sources familiar with the process say that Swarbrick is receiving some serious consideration.
Other sources say that Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne remains a prime candidate, but Swarbrick who was a finalist for the job 15 years ago when Bowlsby was hired is an interesting candidate.
Another name which has resurfaced has been ESPN executive Burke Magness.
At Notre Dame, Swarbrick has wielded power as an AD that i s normally reserved for conference commissioners.
Swarbrick was part of a small group of conference commissioners who put together the initial plan for a 12-team CFP playoff system.
Every package in the CFP history has included the Power 5 conferences AND Notre Dame, which is consideration that the small group of the other independents--Army, UMass, UConn, BYU and New Mexico State do not receive.
It was Swarbrick who dealt Notre Dame into the mix of Atlantic Coast Conference football without giving up its independence.
And while there is no argument that the new look Big 12 will not have the same marquee value as it has now, the Big 12 might enhance its value with Swarbrick as commissioner.
The Big 12 says it wants to have its next commissioner in place by the end of the summer, if not sooner, perhaps by Big 12 media day next month,
That remains a possibility.
Whether the new commissioner creates some more turbulence in the (for now) calm waters of the Big 12 remains to be seen.