Paul Finebaum reveals prediction for Notre Dame’s eventual conference

Paul Finebaum believes Notre Dame will eventually join a conference for football purposes.

On the topic of college football realignment, Paul Finebaum sees big things for Notre Dame.

While appearing on Always College Football with ESPN colleague Greg McElroy, Finebaum suggested that Notre Dame will eventually go to the Big Ten “because it makes too much sense.”

"“I think Notre Dame will end up in the Big Ten if they go somewhere because it makes too much sense,” said Finebaum to McElroy on Always College Football. “I don’t know what the history is with Knute Rockne and Fielding Yost and things that happened even before I was born. We’re talking 100 years ago, more than 100 years ago. But it’s time.”"

Academically and geographically, Notre Dame is an ideal fit in the expanding Big Ten conference.

While he would love to see the Irish play in the SEC, Finebaum views that as only a money grab.

"“And I love them in the SEC, but I don’t think they’re going to be able to convince the people that really matter at Notre Dame – and that’s the administration – that this is where they should be,” continued Finebaum. “It would wreak to some people up there as just a pure money grab, and Notre Dame, even though everything it does football-wise is about money, doesn’t want anybody else to know that.”"

Here is the entire episode of Always College Football where Finebaum spoke about Notre Dame.

Paul Finebaum believes Notre Dame may eventually join the Big Ten conference

Notre Dame plays all of its major sports besides football in the ACC, a conference that could be ripe for the picking by both the Big Ten and SEC in due time. The ACC has a terrible media rights deal that has them tied at the hip to ESPN for the foreseeable future. Notre Dame has that sweet deal with NBC, but their TV partner may look to add Big 12 games to expand their overall offering.

By adding more games on NBC, it pretty much cheapens the deal Notre Dame has with the TV network. Their exclusivity with NBC is probably the biggest reason why the Irish have remained independent. As far as going to the Big Ten, that conference already has two teams in-state with Indiana and Purdue. Notre Dame would also check the box of being a prestigious AAU university.

As far as the SEC is concerned, technically, Notre Dame would suffice commissioner Greg Sankey’s preference for his conference to remain a contiguous one. Indiana does share a southern border with Kentucky. Although football is a massive part of Notre Dame’s overall identity, stringent academics, coupled with religious overtones may not be a great fit in the SEC.

Ultimately, Notre Dame must accept the inevitable. It serves their brand to be part of one of the two emerging mega conferences. The Irish already have rivals in Big Ten country, not just with Michigan, but soon-to-be conference member, USC. Notre Dame could still play rivals Navy and Stanford in the non-conference while maintaining a nine-or-10-game Big Ten conference slate.

If Notre Dame wanted to join the Big Ten, the Irish would have accepted its “invitation” by now.

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