Schedule drama for ND

ERIC HANSEN
Tribune Staff Writer


SOUTH BEND -- It has all the makings of a soap opera -- minus the risqué dialogue.

Politicians, broken relationships, backroom whispers and plenty of innuendo.

Welcome to the world of Notre Dame football scheduling -- or at least how it might appear from the outside looking in.

ND athletic director Kevin White tried to bring a little clarity Friday to the recent waves of news coming from the East Coast. Notre Dame simply wants to keep its large fan base in mind when scheduling football games away from ND Stadium.

"In general, we want to play in those metropolitan -- particularly Eastern -- markets in large venues so that more of our fans can have access," White told The Tribune Friday. "It makes sense to us, because we've got a zillion fans out East."

It apparently didn't make complete sense, though, to Connecticut's state legislature and even less to some of the powers-that-be at Rutgers. Rutgers announced via prepared statement Friday, and White confirmed, that talks for a six-game home-and-home series with the Irish have fizzled.

The series was to kick off in 2010, with ND's home games at Notre Dame Stadium and Rutgers' home games at the new 82,500-seat pro stadium at the New Jersey Meadowlands. Rutgers' on-campus stadium will have a capacity of 55,000 when its $102 million renovation and expansion are complete in 2009. Its current capacity is 41,500.

"Rutgers entered into discussion about a possible long-term series with Notre Dame, but at the end of the day both schools could not agree about the site of the games," Rutgers AD Bob Mulcahy said. "We feel Rutgers' home games should be played on campus at Rutgers Stadium."

"We love Rutgers," White said. "We're really close to them. It doesn't make sense for them. It makes sense for others. So we just moved on. I think we had somebody else in 10 seconds."

White declined to name the school until contracts are signed, but he did say it was another Big East school.

"We had an instant verbal, as they say in the business," he said. "A euphoric verbal."

Connecticut, meanwhile, had been negotiating a 10-game series with the Irish -- separate from the agreement that brings the Huskies to ND Stadium for a game on Nov. 21, 2009.

But that state's lawmakers got involved when they found out none of UConn's "home games" would be at the Huskies' 40,000-seat Rentschler Field. Gillette Stadium (capacity 68,756) in Foxborough, Mass., and sites in New York and New Jersey will be used instead of the on-campus site for games that will run in the time frame of 2011-2017.

The lawmakers agreed to the series, provided UConn play at least six other home games a season during the years the Huskies "host" Notre Dame. Huskies athletic director Jeff Hathaway said he would have not argued for a series of this sort with any other school but ND.

"These games will be a tremendous recruiting tool for our program, enhance our national television exposure and also increase our program's visibility by playing Notre Dame in two large metropolitan areas in which we have a significant alumni presence," UConn coach Randy Edsall was quoted as saying in an Associated Press story.

"I don't know the politics in Connecticut," White said, "but I know the people at the University of Connecticut are very excited about it."

White said Connecticut benefits financially by playing at the larger venues. So would have Rutgers.

"They don't want to give away the competitive advantage of playing in their home stadiums," he said, "and I understand that. I don't blame them. But we've got to do what makes sense for us. And at the end of the day, if someone's not willing to do that, we have plenty of people who want to."
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I'm not sure if the UConn contracts are officially signed yet so I don't know if White was already referencing the UConn deal or not concerning the 'another Big East school' comment. That would be my #1 choice. If it's not UConn, then it's gotta be Syracuse.

I also find these comments interesting:
'In general, we want to play in those metropolitan -- particularly Eastern -- markets in large venues so that more of our fans can have access," White told The Tribune Friday. "It makes sense to us, because we've got a zillion fans out East."

They could play in those 'metropolitan eastern markets' every year by simply joining BE FB now, have joined BE FB in 2003 before VT, BC, and Miami left, or simply create a conference to their liking. Anyway, ND is ND.....

So who is this other Big East school that is going to prostitute itself to Notre Dame?

There isn't one right now, or he would have named them! There's only one other D1 Northeastern school left and that is Syracuse Maybe Notre Dame is going to schedule Villanova or Georgetown!

Rutgers and Connecticut should have told them to play in Indianapolis the Notre Dame home games.

OUBOBCATJOHN Wrote:Rutgers and Connecticut should have told them to play in Indianapolis the Notre Dame home games.

Even the Notre Dame fans will get tired of a schedule of military schools and lesser D1 teams in order to have a winning record. At some point the irish will have to poop or get off of the pot.

Hoquista Wrote:Schedule drama for ND

ND athletic director Kevin White... Notre Dame simply wants to keep its large fan base in mind when scheduling football games away from ND Stadium.

I believe that another 3-9 season will take care of this problem for him.

Wilkie01 Wrote:There isn't one right now, or he would have named them! There's only one other D1 Northeastern school left and that is Syracuse Maybe Notre Dame is going to schedule Villanova or Georgetown!

I agree. How many times have we read about programs sending out press releases about their schedules and who they are going to play and reading stuff like "the details have yet to be finalized"? There are no contracts signed if the details have not been finalized. So for him to use the excuse that he doesn't want to name a school because the contracts have not been signed is smoke. But then again, the reporter did not say that it was another northeastern BE school. It could be another BE school that agrees to play in the northeast.

Hoquista Wrote:Schedule drama for ND

ERIC HANSEN
Tribune Staff Writer


SOUTH BEND -- It has all the makings of a soap opera -- minus the risqué dialogue.

Politicians, broken relationships, backroom whispers and plenty of innuendo.

Welcome to the world of Notre Dame football scheduling -- or at least how it might appear from the outside looking in.

ND athletic director Kevin White tried to bring a little clarity Friday to the recent waves of news coming from the East Coast. Notre Dame simply wants to keep its large fan base in mind when scheduling football games away from ND Stadium.

"In general, we want to play in those metropolitan -- particularly Eastern -- markets in large venues so that more of our fans can have access," White told The Tribune Friday. "It makes sense to us, because we've got a zillion fans out East."

It apparently didn't make complete sense, though, to Connecticut's state legislature and even less to some of the powers-that-be at Rutgers. Rutgers announced via prepared statement Friday, and White confirmed, that talks for a six-game home-and-home series with the Irish have fizzled.

The series was to kick off in 2010, with ND's home games at Notre Dame Stadium and Rutgers' home games at the new 82,500-seat pro stadium at the New Jersey Meadowlands. Rutgers' on-campus stadium will have a capacity of 55,000 when its $102 million renovation and expansion are complete in 2009. Its current capacity is 41,500.

"Rutgers entered into discussion about a possible long-term series with Notre Dame, but at the end of the day both schools could not agree about the site of the games," Rutgers AD Bob Mulcahy said. "We feel Rutgers' home games should be played on campus at Rutgers Stadium."

"We love Rutgers," White said. "We're really close to them. It doesn't make sense for them. It makes sense for others. So we just moved on. I think we had somebody else in 10 seconds."

White declined to name the school until contracts are signed, but he did say it was another Big East school.

"We had an instant verbal, as they say in the business," he said. "A euphoric verbal."

Connecticut, meanwhile, had been negotiating a 10-game series with the Irish -- separate from the agreement that brings the Huskies to ND Stadium for a game on Nov. 21, 2009.

But that state's lawmakers got involved when they found out none of UConn's "home games" would be at the Huskies' 40,000-seat Rentschler Field. Gillette Stadium (capacity 68,756) in Foxborough, Mass., and sites in New York and New Jersey will be used instead of the on-campus site for games that will run in the time frame of 2011-2017.

The lawmakers agreed to the series, provided UConn play at least six other home games a season during the years the Huskies "host" Notre Dame. Huskies athletic director Jeff Hathaway said he would have not argued for a series of this sort with any other school but ND.

"These games will be a tremendous recruiting tool for our program, enhance our national television exposure and also increase our program's visibility by playing Notre Dame in two large metropolitan areas in which we have a significant alumni presence," UConn coach Randy Edsall was quoted as saying in an Associated Press story.

"I don't know the politics in Connecticut," White said, "but I know the people at the University of Connecticut are very excited about it."

White said Connecticut benefits financially by playing at the larger venues. So would have Rutgers.

"They don't want to give away the competitive advantage of playing in their home stadiums," he said, "and I understand that. I don't blame them. But we've got to do what makes sense for us. And at the end of the day, if someone's not willing to do that, we have plenty of people who want to."
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I'm not sure if the UConn contracts are officially signed yet so I don't know if White was already referencing the UConn deal or not concerning the 'another Big East school' comment. That would be my #1 choice. If it's not UConn, then it's gotta be Syracuse.

The Connecticut contracts have not yet been signed. So my feeling is it's got to be UConn. But ND was looking for an annual game at the Meadowlands and it appears as though the UConn "home games" ( )will alternate between Foxboro and the Meadowlands.

If Syracuse were to be involved, the only way I could see that happening was an SU-ND series that ONLY took place at the Meadowlands, with no home games on either side.

Quote:I also find these comments interesting:
'In general, we want to play in those metropolitan -- particularly Eastern -- markets in large venues so that more of our fans can have access," White told The Tribune Friday. "It makes sense to us, because we've got a zillion fans out East."

They could play in those 'metropolitan eastern markets' every year by simply joining BE FB now, have joined BE FB in 2003 before VT, BC, and Miami left, or simply create a conference to their liking. Anyway, ND is ND.....

Agreed. But both the Old Big East and the New are "beneath" them in terms of football. And creating a conference to their liking is far too much work.

Besides, I don't think USC and Stanford will leave the Pac-10.

Cheers,
Neil

Notre Dame needs us a hell of a lot more then we need them. People will try and say no, they help us get bowls, but Notre Dame needs us to have a legitimate Bowl affiliation. Outside of the Cotton Bowl they don't have one. They also don't have a place to house their non-football sports and they need us in order to have big name or high profile (Big Six conference) Eastern schools to schedule. They considered the Big East below them, but I think Rutgers kind of put them in their place and sent a message to them they're not all that.

CatsClaw Wrote:Notre Dame needs us a hell of a lot more then we need them. People will try and say no, they help us get bowls, but Notre Dame needs us to have a legitimate Bowl affiliation. Outside of the Cotton Bowl they don't have one. They also don't have a place to house their non-football sports and they need us in order to have big name or high profile (Big Six conference) Eastern schools to schedule. They considered the Big East below them, but I think Rutgers kind of put them in their place and sent a message to them they're not all that.

Obviously it stung them a little bit, considering AD White said, "It doesn't make sense for them. It makes sense for others. So we just moved on. I think we had somebody else in 10 seconds."

Typical ND pompousness.

Cheers,
Neil

Yet to show how far this leagues membership has come, who would have thought Rutgers could have ever told ND where to go and have it sting even just a bit for ND? That day has passed.

You guys have to add up the #'s. a game in Hartfort has 35,000 Conn fans & 5,000 ND fans. A game at the Meadowlands has 41,000 Conn & 41,000 ND fans. Conn going to charge $75 to eventally $100 a ticket. To buy Conn ticket, your going to have season tickets & at certain doner level. Every yr this series goes on, season tickets & doner level are going to increase. ND fans will start donating money to Conn for the right to buy tickets. losing the last 4 yrs of contract is going to cost Conn alot of money. It' possiable that Conn could pay for stadium expansion from this series. When you have 80,000 seat stadium sold out with big boosters, then you tell ND thank's but no thank's

usf,lou,wvu have or will have large stadiums. Cincy maybe, but are they 'eastern'? That leaves the cuse.

templefootballfan Wrote:You guys have to add up the #'s. a game in Hartfort has 35,000 Conn fans & 5,000 ND fans. A game at the Meadowlands has 41,000 Conn & 41,000 ND fans. Conn going to charge $75 to eventally $100 a ticket. To buy Conn ticket, your going to have season tickets & at certain doner level. Every yr this series goes on, season tickets & doner level are going to increase. ND fans will start donating money to Conn for the right to buy tickets. losing the last 4 yrs of contract is going to cost Conn alot of money. It' possiable that Conn could pay for stadium expansion from this series. When you have 80,000 seat stadium sold out with big boosters, then you tell ND thank's but no thank's

Which would be acceptable, if it were not for the fact that ND plays Stanford in a 50K stadium instead of telling the Cardinal they'll only play them if the game is at Candlestick Park or telling the BC Eagles they'll only play them at Gillette.

It's a double-standard.

But as long as White can get someone else willing to do it, then they will continue to do so. I don't fault UConn for doing what they think will help put them in the position to say "No" to such deals in the future, but I do commend RU for their decision NOT to take the deal. It shows how far RU has come in a short period of time.

Besides, is ND truly honoring the spirit of their commitment to play 3 Big East teams with the UConn deal? One might argue they are honoring the letter of the commitment, but hardly the spirit of it.

Cheers,
Neil

Wilkie01 Wrote:Maybe Notre Dame is going to schedule Villanova or Georgetown!

Where do we sign up? That would be an absolute windfall for a program that labors in the relative obscurity of Patriot League football..

ND is starting new relationships & new sch philosophies. Games with Stanford will be moved to Santa Clare [New 49ers stadium] & Bos Coll end up in Foxboro. Rutgers is being shortsighted

omnicarrier Wrote:

CatsClaw Wrote:Notre Dame needs us a hell of a lot more then we need them. People will try and say no, they help us get bowls, but Notre Dame needs us to have a legitimate Bowl affiliation. Outside of the Cotton Bowl they don't have one. They also don't have a place to house their non-football sports and they need us in order to have big name or high profile (Big Six conference) Eastern schools to schedule. They considered the Big East below them, but I think Rutgers kind of put them in their place and sent a message to them they're not all that.

Obviously it stung them a little bit, considering AD White said, "It doesn't make sense for them. It makes sense for others. So we just moved on. I think we had somebody else in 10 seconds."

Typical ND pompousness.

Cheers,
Neil

I agree - This is ND ARROGANCE and ND damage control rolled into one. The 10 second foe is Conn and no one else. The only other east coast foes they play are Army, Navy, and BC. Maybe BC is kissing their a$$ again but then they really don't need ND anymore since they have moved on to bigger and better things in the ACC. In reality BC needs some local BE schools for home and close away games like Cuse, Rutgers, and Conn to cut down on travel costs. Teaming up with those schools after hard feelings subside makes more sense so they can also get some closer OCC games for their Olympic Sports and BB to cut down on expensive travel costs too. They can afford to ignore ND now as they have their big payday with the ACC.

ND is just blowing smoke to save their pride on the 10 second call. They like to think that everyone lives to play ND. Well they don't and Rutgers rejecting them is just the beginning. There are other major universities out there that bring just as much to the table and even more than that pompous arrogant school. First the BE will turn on them and then the BCS will turn the screws a little tighter on the next contract eliminating their $1.75 million dollar looser money to sit at home with a 3 and 9 record. I would rather see Rutgers scheduling Penn State, Nebraska, Miami, Virginia, Maryland, and other teams of this caliber home and away then ND. Expanding their stadium even further into the 60k, 70k and finally the 80k region will allow for games down the road. To do this Rutgers needs to play at home to build the fan base, to pay for the current and future stadium improvements, and to avoid expensive rental contracts at the Meadowlands. Besides this is not just about ND eastern fan base or all their neutral games would be played in the east. This all about ND's TV contract because when they play at the nuetral sites they get the TV revenue which they do not share. ND's new fight song should be "SCREW EVERYBODY WE ARE THE ONLY holy ONE".

I would rather see Rutgers scheduling ACC, B10, and B12 teams home and away than scheduling ND with their attitude towards their conference mates for everything else other than FB. ND's hay day ended years ago like Navy and Army. Everyone else knows that but the arrogant ND fans and the arrogant ND administrators that look down on everyone else in FB.

templefootballfan Wrote:ND is starting new relationships & new sch philosophies. Games with Stanford will be moved to Santa Clare [New 49ers stadium] & Bos Coll end up in Foxboro.

Translated it means we are too good for you little insignificant a$$ school; so bow down, because we are ND.

omnicarrier Wrote:

CatsClaw Wrote:Notre Dame needs us a hell of a lot more then we need them. People will try and say no, they help us get bowls, but Notre Dame needs us to have a legitimate Bowl affiliation. Outside of the Cotton Bowl they don't have one. They also don't have a place to house their non-football sports and they need us in order to have big name or high profile (Big Six conference) Eastern schools to schedule. They considered the Big East below them, but I think Rutgers kind of put them in their place and sent a message to them they're not all that.

Obviously it stung them a little bit, considering AD White said, "It doesn't make sense for them. It makes sense for others. So we just moved on. I think we had somebody else in 10 seconds."

Typical ND pompousness.

Cheers,
Neil

I caught that comment to. I gave me a smile.