(10-30-2017 03:06 PM)BePcr07 Wrote:  

(10-30-2017 01:41 PM)YNot Wrote:  In that scenario, I wonder if Notre Dame and the ACC would accept a football membership scenario where Navy was added as the 16th team (football only) and the 8-team ACC divisions rotated based on the future Notre Dame-ACC schedules. And, only the 7 divisional games counted toward the divisional race.

I note that a couple of future schedules have 6 Notre Dame-ACC games. Add Navy and 1-2 other ACC games and it would work - BUT, Notre Dame isn't pinned down to one specific divisional lineup each year.

For example, based on future schedules, Notre Dame's rotating divisions could be:
2019 = Navy Louisville, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Duke, Boston College, TBD
2020 = Navy, Clemson, Duke, Louisville, Wake, Pitt, Georgia Tech
2021 = Navy, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Florida St., Virginia Tech, Virginia, TBD
2022 = Navy, Boston College, Clemson, North Carolina, Syracuse, TBD, TBD
2023 = Navy, Clemson, Duke, Louisville, Pitt, Wake, NC State
2024 = Navy, Georgia Tech, Virginia, Florida St., Miami, TBD, TBD
2025 = Navy, Boston College, Miami, NC State, Pitt, Syracuse, TBD
2026 = Navy, Virginia, Florida St., Louisville, North Carolina, Syracuse, TBD

8x = Navy
4x = Virginia, Louisville
3x = Clemson, Pitt, Georgia Tech, Duke, Boston College, Florida St., Syracuse
2x = Wake, Virginia Tech, Miami, NC State, North Carolina

That's only 8 extra ACC games in 8 years and leaves 5-game flexibility on Notre Dame's OOC schedule to play USC, Stanford and two spots for the Georgia, Michigan, Ohio St., Texas A&M, Michigan St., Wisconsin type matchups and a payday home game against the MAC or similar opponent.

OR, rotate the divisions on a two-year home-away basis and require Notre Dame and Navy to only play the 7-game divisional round robin ACC schedule.

For the conference, I think the bolded portion above would be the problem. That would leave an 8-7 divisional setup (unless you went 5-5-5 which I don't believe they would prefer.) If they also added Cincinnati, for example, the conference may be okay with it. With the larger conference, new division alignment would probably be considered.

Atlantic: North Carolina, North Carolina St, Duke, Wake Forest, Virginia, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Florida St
Coastal: Virginia Tech, Louisville, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Navy, Syracuse, Boston College, Miami

Notre Dame plays an 8-game conference schedule (Navy, Pittsburgh, Boston College annually.) They can find their way into the ACC championship game and bowl slots.

I wasn't clear on that bolded statement. Notre Dame would be a full-fledged member of the conference and would be assigned to a specific division each year; no Cincinnati needed. However, the divisional lineup would change from year to year such that Notre Dame would not be in the same division from year to year.

So, change the bolded statement to "Notre Dame isn't pinned down to the same specific divisional lineup from year to year."