Notre Dame's mission--representing the rest of the country

B1GTide

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The "Catholic" part is important also. As I said before, when I lived in NYC it seemed that all Catholics who didn't have an allegiance to another school (Fordham, ST. Johns, etc.) were default Notre Dame fans. That helps big time in recruiting. Of the SEC schools, the one which has been known over the years for recruiting mostly nationally has been Tennessee. Not coincidentally, that state produces the fewest decent Div I players per capita in the Southeast...
This makes sense - I don't know many people from the Northeast, but those that I do know either follow Notre Dame or do not follow college football at all. They are all NFL, NHL and NBA fans.
 

Bama1985

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Glad you found it informative, ND resists joining a conference not because they think they are "better than everyone."

It has to do with who they are, a small catholic university with 8500 students in the mid-west who has a national following.
The media is usually reporting it more of being elitist--this gives me a better understanding the dynamics involved in Notre Dame remaining independent. Because Rockne was forced to take Notre Dame all over the country it certainly made them a national team.
If they had joined the Big 10 they would have certainly been limited in being able to have a rivalry with USC.

SEC fans are not too fond of the Big 10 and Pac 10 tying up the Rose Bowl 50 years ago.
 

Maverick2

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The media is usually reporting it more of being elitist--this gives me a better understanding the dynamics involved in Notre Dame remaining independent. Because Rockne was forced to take Notre Dame all over the country it certainly made them a national team.
If they had joined the Big 10 they would have certainly been limited in being able to have a rivalry with USC.

SEC fans are not too fond of the Big 10 and Pac 10 tying up the Rose Bowl 50 years ago.

Some in the media just don't like ND and many of them have no idea about the blackballing by the Big-10 decades ago, so they think ND is "elitist" for not joining a conference. It is not, many of their fans are jerks but the university itself tries to do the right thing.

And when ND fired Willingham who was the WORST coach ND ever hired, they were CRUCIFIED. All because Willingham was black. You didn't hear the out cry when Michigan State fired Bobby Williams who is currently an Alabama coach. Or when Oklahoma fired coach John Blake, nary a whimper from the media. Look at Colorado they fired Embree after TWO years, NOTHING from the media. When ND fired Willighmam, it was non-stop attacks from ESPN ESPECIALLY the black commentators i.e. Saunders, the guy on PTI who I can't remember his name. Willighman almost destroyed the program beyond repair. And Willingham proved he was awful, he went to Washington and drove that program into the ground too.
 
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Bama1985

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Some in the media just don't like ND and many of them have no idea about the blackballing by the Big-10 decades ago, so they think ND is "elitist" for not joining a conference. It is not, many of their fans are jerks but the university itself tries to do the right thing.

And when ND fired Willingham who was the WORST coach ND ever hired, they were CRUCIFIED. All because Willingham was black. You didn't hear the out cry when Michigan State fired Bobby Williams who is currently an Alabama coach. Or when Oklahoma fired coach John Blake, nary a whimper from the media. Look at Colorado they fired Embree after TWO years, NOTHING from the media. When ND fired Willighmam, it was non-stop attacks from ESPN ESPECIALLY the black commentators i.e. Saunders, the guy on PTI who I can't remember his name. Willighman almost destroyed the program beyond repair. And Willingham proved he was awful, he went to Washington and drove that program into the ground too.
I certainly respect what Notre Dame has done as an Independent all these years. You guys are tied with Alabama at 8 AP titles each. It took Bama many years to catch up since those early 70s bowl games Notre Dame was victorious in over Alabama.
 

TIDE-HSV

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Some in the media just don't like ND and many of them have no idea about the blackballing by the Big-10 decades ago, so they think ND is "elitist" for not joining a conference. It is not, many of their fans are jerks but the university itself tries to do the right thing.

And when ND fired Willingham who was the WORST coach ND ever hired, they were CRUCIFIED. All because Willingham was black. You didn't hear the out cry when Michigan State fired Bobby Williams who is currently an Alabama coach. Or when Oklahoma fired coach John Blake, nary a whimper from the media. Look at Colorado they fired Embree after TWO years, NOTHING from the media. When ND fired Willighmam, it was non-stop attacks from ESPN ESPECIALLY the black commentators i.e. Saunders, the guy on PTI who I can't remember his name. Willighman almost destroyed the program beyond repair. And Willingham proved he was awful, he went to Washington and drove that program into the ground too.
That's interesting. Of course, I tend not to notice quite so much when it's someone else who's getting crucified. :) Some used to feel that Alabama could never afford to take a chance and hire a black football HC, simply because of the name. If he didn't make it, Bama would never be forgiven, even if we held on to him for ten years. MSU/Croom sort of solved that problem for everybody. Now for quarterbacks. :) Bama has one of the more successful academic diversity programs in the country, but, somehow, you just never hear of it, because people from other parts of the country hear "Alabama," and they close their ears (and minds, if they weren't already completely closed). I'm beginning to think that the two schools have some heretofore undiscovered commonalities I hadn't suspected...
 

Bama1985

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The "Catholic" part is important also. As I said before, when I lived in NYC it seemed that all Catholics who didn't have an allegiance to another school (Fordham, ST. Johns, etc.) were default Notre Dame fans. That helps big time in recruiting. Of the SEC schools, the one which has been known over the years for recruiting mostly nationally has been Tennessee. Not coincidentally, that state produces the fewest decent Div I players per capita in the Southeast...
I found that to be true also. Having lived in Boston and then New York I found that many of my Catholic friends that liked college football were default Notre Dame fans. In fact for years one of those Notre Dame friends and I have talked about wanting Bama and the Irish to play for the National Title again. We have had that discussion for several decades. Can't believe it is finally going to happen.
 

Nolan

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Yep, you can go back and look at many, many threads on here - a lot, if not nearly all, have wanted this matchup. Hopefully, we make the most of it, process them thoroughly, and "silence the echoes."
 

BamaJama17

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I found that to be true also. Having lived in Boston and then New York I found that many of my Catholic friends that liked college football were default Notre Dame fans. In fact for years one of those Notre Dame friends and I have talked about wanting Bama and the Irish to play for the National Title again. We have had that discussion for several decades. Can't believe it is finally going to happen.
Thats what I've noticed during my 3 1/5 years being active duty military. A lot of Marines who are Cathlioc and are from other places (New York, MASS., Colorado, South Carolina, Etc...) other than Indiana are Notre Dame fans simply because of their religion.
 
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Bama1985

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Thats what I've noticed during my 3 1/5 years being active duty military. A lot of Marines who are Cathlioc and are from other places (New York, MASS., Colorado, South Carolina, Etc...) other than Indiana are Notre Dame fans simply because of their religion.
That is what is cool for Notre Dame and Alabama fans
In military units you can usually find a Notre Dame and Alabama fan; most prevalent fan bases.
 

BamaJama17

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That is what is cool for Notre Dame and Alabama fans
In military units you can usually find a Notre Dame and Alabama fan; most prevalent fan bases.
Exactly. I'd have to say that Ohio State, Michigan, Texas, and Florida tie for third tee shirt wise. Strangely enough USCw is lacking. Then again I am on the East Coast.
 

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