Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Does Notre Dame hurt Big East football teams?


Now that TCU has an accepted an invitation to join the Big East Conference there is talk that the league should view Notre Dame in a different light and no longer needs to include the Irish in any bowl agreements.

The Irish compete in the Big East in all sports but football, which irritates many fans and raises questions about how much value the school really brings to the conference.

The Big East is generally considered among the best two or three basketball conferences in the country if not the best. It certainly doesn’t need Notre Dame to help them in that sport.

Notre Dame has been included in several bowl arrangements that the Big East has made; specifically it could cost a football Big East team a spot in the Champs Bowl in Orlando, which has the second pick of Big East teams and the right to select Notre Dame.

The Champs Bowl has the first selection from the Big East after the league's BCS Bowl representative is determined. But it can select Notre Dame in place of a Big East team once during the four year agreement between the league and bowl.

If Notre Dame goes to the Champs Bowl it affects every Big East team and worst of all it could send USF to the St. Petersburg Bowl, which would be the last choice for players and fans.


The Bulls were hoping to get an invitation to the Compass Bowl in Birmingham, but now the talk is that game will match Pittsburgh against Kentucky. If USF beats Connecticut Saturday and finishes with an 8-4 record (4-3 Big East) it would be a big disappointment f the Bulls were forced to go to the St. Petersburg Beef O Brady’s Bowl.

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