A Jersey Guy: ND Again Celebrates Independence Day
The announcement came without a great deal of fanfare, but with much more underlying significance.
After a hybrid COVID-19 dominated 2020 college football season when the Atlantic Coast Conference went to one (15 team) division, played a 10-game conference schedule and included Notre Dame as a full member, the ACC is returning to NORMAL for the 2021 season.
Which includes:
Two 7-team divisions, playing an 8-game conference schedule.
Notre Dame as an independent, with a 5-game ACC schedule which puts ND in the ACC bowl rotation for the secondary ACC bowl tie ins.
For the rest of the ACC, this was probably the wisest most prudent move. A back to the future decision which will provide some stability.
The key component in this saga is Notre Dame, which last summer cashed in its independent ticket for full membership in football, which meant a 10-game ACC schedule, a potential spot in the ACC championship game and improved odds of making it into CFP's Final Four.
The Irish and the ACC said it was a one-time trial run, with some concessions made by both sides.
The Irish had to share their $15 million dollar NBC television contract money with the other members of the conference, but were given a full share in the total television package the conference had which pays each team more than $35 million.
Ten, instead of five or six ACC schools, had high profile games against Notre Dame penciled in on their scheduling cards.
It was a jack pot for everyone.
ND went unbeaten during the regular season, which was so impressive it got the Irish a slot in the Final Four, even after a LOSS to Clemson, in an ACC title game rematch.
The ACC had two of the Final Four teams.
Fast forward the timeline to next fall.
The ACC football schedule, which was announced on Tuesday, as a standard eight conference, four non conference game schedule for its teams, who will again compete in the Atlantic and Coastal Divisions for the ACC title.
Notre Dame is back in its role as America's team.
Coach Brian Kelly's team will face five ACC teams next fall: FSU, at Virginia Tech, North Carolina, at Virginia and Georgia Tech.
But, they will have no guaranteed bowl bids or slots or conference championship game opportunities.
As a member of conference, the Irish could afford to lose a game or even two and remain in the chase for a CFP bowl berth.
They would also share in almost $40 million in television revue.
As an independent that total is considerably reduced.
Kelly, who has had a remarkable run of four consecutive double digit win seasons, will have to do some rebuilding next fall—without the security blanket offered by conference membership.
And, look at the middle part of the Irish schedule, starting on Sept. 25 with a non conference game in Chicago against Wisconsin.
After that it’s a home game against Cincinnati, a road game at Virginia and home games against USC and North Carolina.
The Irish could win all of those games and be in prime position for a CFP Final Four bid, but they could lose one, two, three or all of them which means their season would effectively be over by Halloween, if not much sooner.
The ACC-ND partnership will continue for the foreseeable future, but so will ND's role as a CFB independent.