After spending this whole long weekend sick and reading stuff online, I think ND's AD is such a complete moron he has them in a position they have NO control over their destiny.
First their is their partial conference membership, they can buy out of that for about $50 million, BUT they still will not have ownership of any of their home games but football until 2035. That lowers their value to any conference. Those rights belong to the ACC and ESPN, and since ESPN seems to not be getting much out of the current Big Ten negotiations, they are not going to lift a finger to help move ND to Fox affiliated Big Ten. Oh, and any conference vote to allow an exception to the Grant of Rights has to be UNANIMOUS per the contract.
Second, there is a clause that if ND joins a conference it HAS TO BE ACC, no escape clause. For ND to join the Big Ten they have to convince the majority of ACC schools to let them out of the contract for whatever astronomical amount they might ask for if they would even allow a buyout or just be in breach of contract and accept whatever penalties the courts would slam them with, which might still include enforcing the contract and forcing ND to join the ACC.
Third, Same contract obligates ND to 5 games with the ACC every year until 2034, more than they would have non-conference games to play. Again no escape clause or buyout clause in the contract... ND screwed the pooch so bad on this deal Swarbrick should have been fired for negotiating it.
ND has ZERO leverage in this situation, they are a hostage to the ACC for the next 12 years and are tied to them like a freaking anchor. The only way out I see for them? The SEC, moving from one ESPN house to another ESPN could grease the wheels for them, provide some incentives to the ACC to make it happen and get ND all settled into the SURE EVERYONE CHEATS conference where I am sure they will thrive and be happy.... LOL
First their is their partial conference membership, they can buy out of that for about $50 million, BUT they still will not have ownership of any of their home games but football until 2035. That lowers their value to any conference. Those rights belong to the ACC and ESPN, and since ESPN seems to not be getting much out of the current Big Ten negotiations, they are not going to lift a finger to help move ND to Fox affiliated Big Ten. Oh, and any conference vote to allow an exception to the Grant of Rights has to be UNANIMOUS per the contract.
Second, there is a clause that if ND joins a conference it HAS TO BE ACC, no escape clause. For ND to join the Big Ten they have to convince the majority of ACC schools to let them out of the contract for whatever astronomical amount they might ask for if they would even allow a buyout or just be in breach of contract and accept whatever penalties the courts would slam them with, which might still include enforcing the contract and forcing ND to join the ACC.
Third, Same contract obligates ND to 5 games with the ACC every year until 2034, more than they would have non-conference games to play. Again no escape clause or buyout clause in the contract... ND screwed the pooch so bad on this deal Swarbrick should have been fired for negotiating it.
ND has ZERO leverage in this situation, they are a hostage to the ACC for the next 12 years and are tied to them like a freaking anchor. The only way out I see for them? The SEC, moving from one ESPN house to another ESPN could grease the wheels for them, provide some incentives to the ACC to make it happen and get ND all settled into the SURE EVERYONE CHEATS conference where I am sure they will thrive and be happy.... LOL