Over the past several weeks, conference alignment has been a dominant topic in college football. For the longest time, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish have been resistant to the idea of joining the SEC. As they've worked tirelessly to avoid being affiliated with football “super conference” status, it may be time for them to change their tune and join the SEC.
Currently an independent who has a TV contract with NBC that runs through 2025, the Fighting Irish may welcome the opportunity or even feel forced into joining the SEC at some point in the near future by athletic director Jack Swarbick. With all this in the fold for Notre Dame, let's now discuss two reasons why they must join the lucrative conference sooner than later.
Reasons Notre Dame Fighting Irish must join the SEC
1) Notre Dame is seeking a stronger commitment from their broadcast partner
Once their current deal with NBC runs out in 2025, Notre Dame will have plenty of suitors and a ton of networks interested in airing their games throughout the season. This would be a prime opportunity for Notre Dame to form an alliance with the SEC. It would also create the opportunity for the Fighting Irish to compete in more primetime games with increased air time.
The Fighting Irish would also get to have more desirable match-ups show during Bowl season. In-turn they'd be able to compete against some of the best teams in the nation which would be a win-win scenario for Notre Dame and the SEC. All kinds of exciting possibilities await the Fighting Irish once their contract with NBC runs its course. They'd also be gaining a new and more committed broadcasting partner in this transaction.
2) The Fighting Irish would have a more favorable route into the postseason
If Notre Dame were to join the SEC, they'd vastly improve their chances of making the College Football Playoff. The SEC does get a ton of at-large playoff bids, and with the Fighting Irish on-board, this would be another huge win for them. For the Fighting Irish, another strong season would be much more meaningful with the chance to participate in the playoff.
Plus the SEC has heavily supported the proposal of a 12-team playoff which would also give Notre Dame a more realistic route into the postseason. With all this potentially unfolding, joining the SEC should seem like a no-brainer for Notre Dame. On the flip side, it's not solely up to the Fighting Irish, so only time will tell what winds up happening for them.
Despite their previous resistance to the idea of joining a conference with the SEC's reputation, this could wind up being just the change Notre Dame needs. With the looming possibility of competing in the expanded College Football Playoff and earning a longer-term and more lucrative broadcasting deal, the Fighting Irish could be in for some serious change. Whether or not they'll do this is still to be determined, but based on all the ways it plays in their favor, joining the SEC would be a game-changing move for them to make.
Only time will tell, but it goes without saying that the Notre Dame Fighting Irish would be much better off in the long haul by making the jump to the SEC. So come 2025, there's a decent chance that Notre Dame will be apart of a football “super” conference and gain a competitive advantage in the process of doing so.
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