ND is an independent by choice not be necessity. All ten FBS conferences would gladly take them--half would let them play all their conference games at home with the ND coaching staff refereeing the game.

They should get no special treatment and their should be no exemption that might encourage others, like Texas, to go the independent route.

ND needs to do the best they can with the 12 data points they do have. The fact that they don't play FCS schools is a step in the right direction. The Irish need to be playing 10 P5 opponents at a minimum and at least a few of them need to be contenders for a conference crown.

If they want an easier path to the post season it's as simple as adding three more ACC opponents each year. The USC and Navy rivalries can probably stay but Stanford will no longer be able to be an annual event and they'd probably want to play a Big Ten school annually, rotating among their historic rivals. The ACC would probably even create a divisional structure where ND would be the annual favorite for their division each year.