Notre Dame: The embodiment of everything wrong in college athletics

Disclaimer: I have nothing against Notre Dame or the Catholic religion.  I recognize Notre Dame as being a program rich in tradition, with a national following and respectable athletics

However, I feel that Notre Dame embodies everything that is currently wrong with college athletics...don't believe me? That's your call, but let me share my two cents.

1. Notre Dame is viewed as the holy grail- tons of revenue.  Instant prestige and credibility.  As of today, the ACC, Big 10 and Big 12 all would love to welcome Notre Dame to their fold.  What is the problem?  The closest school in the ACC would be Pittsburgh, an 8 hour drive to Indiana.  If Notre Dame joins the ACC, UConn will probably be team #16.  The Big 10 has no reason to expand unless Notre Dame is available.  Ya Louisville will probably get picked up by the Big 12.  Maybe Cincy will too in this scenario.  But Rutgers and South Florida will be alone with no AQ conference potential and none of that BCS money.

Big 12?  Now that West Virginia is joining has their closest school 7 hours away.  Everyone is giving up the potential to develop great regional rivalries for the almighty dollar of Notre Dame.  The Big 12 could pick up West Virginia, Louisville and Cincinnati, three programs with similar cultures, history and rivalries stemming from the Big East days.  UConn and Rutgers would probably get picked up by the ACC to create regional rivals with Syracuse and Boston College.But Cincy and South Florida would be left out in the cold if the Big 12 can make Notre Dame join..even if it means adding BYU for football and Notre Dame for everything else.

How about the Big 10, who has everything they want?  I'll be honest, I don't know who the Big 10 would pick up as team 14 if Notre Dame joined. I have heard Rutgers, and that would probably be my first guess. ACC won't add anyone unless Notre Dame is part of the deal...sorry UConn. How about you, USF with the Tampa market?  Nah, we got that covered with Florida State.

Regardless of what happens, if Notre Dame joins ANY conference and gives up their independence, it will be at the expense of someone else.  Regardless of whether Notre Dame is a better geographical or cultural fit is a moot point.  Because with the money of Notre Dame, who cares?  Someone is gonna get left out.

Nevermind the incredible rivalry opportunities of the Big 12 adding WVU, Louisville, Cincy, USF and UCF to make a 14 team conference with a triad of close rivals and a rivalry in-state that would be passionate and intense every year.

Nevermind the Big 10 adding UConn and Rutgers to reach 14 and pick up NY and NE markets while retaining that Big East rivalry.

Nevermind the ACC adding UConn and Rutgers to develop a NE rivalry between Boston College and UConn, and a NY rivalry between Rutgers and Syracuse.

Finally, Notre Dame's approach regarding conference affiliations embodies the current collegiate psyche.  I am a strong advocate of Notre Dame staying independent because it works out nicer.  But let's face it.  Notre Dame has decided it would rather put it's schools own interests ahead of what is best for the college landscape.  It is this attitude which has been adopted by the Pac 12, the Big 10, the Big 12, the SEC and even the ACC which is truly disturbing.  Despite the options laid out to develop 5 14 team conferences loosely based on geographic rivals (like the Pac) everyone has decided they are too content with what they have.  Which will leave the remnants of the Big East stranded in isolation.  Why?  Because Cincinnati isn't an attractive option for the Big 10 with Ohio State around.  The SEC wouldn't dare consider USF, UCF or Louisville because they already have Florida and Kentucky.

The simple matter is teams will get left out for one of two reasons:
1. They got replaced by the more attractive beauty queen known as Notre Dame.
2. The greediness of conferences and lack of desire to seek what is in the best interest of college football as a collective, but rather solely what is in the best interest of the 12-14 conference members.

None of these will happen despite the attractiveness of these options because none of these programs bring in the financial revenue of Notre Dame.  Which is too bad.  It really is a damn shame that the almighty dollar is more important than the rivalries which have made college football great for so long.