CSNbbs

<a href='http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/news?slug=agoldendomeopportunityis&prov=tsn&type=lgns' target='_blank'>Matt Hayes all ND column</a>

Frankly I wouldn't be so confident about ND nor NBC. NBC has been giving up their sports loss leaders: NFL, NBA...and hasn't been shy about it. I respect them for trying a different business model. (Of course our GE stock isn't doing all that great.)

Anyway, I'm not sure ND will get such a lucrative contract...at least w/o conference affiliation. (NBC might like showing East Coast games as well as South Bend games).

As for the MAC, seems like now is the time to move. Get attendance figures up, and maybe, just maybe, the MAC can get a bigger slice of the pie next go-round.

Your point about NBC is a good one, though this contract has worked well for them I believe.
ND sits in such a unique position and wield amazing power no matter how good or bad they are. They love the independence--and, of course, the pipeline of money that pours into the South Bend coffers--that I don't see them changing anything until the big picture changes so that it is no longer such a windfall for them. If they don't want the b10 and the schedule changes it would force on them, dropping some traditional rivalries etc., I can't imagine them dropping those games and picking up BE teams. Yuck.