Not to be argumentative, but the ACC pandering to ND assures them they get to remain independent, not have to go through a conference championship game and get a decent bowl game every year. Who wouldn't love a steady diet of Wake, Duke, UVA, Pitt and UNC.
You are spot on. When ND has a down year they are still in the running for a good ACC bowl and ACC gets the big name Notre Dame to bolster their image. You scratch my back, I will scratch yours. The deal with BYU is a mutual benefit too. BYU gets to play big name schools in large stadiums and SEC gets a good SOS team for OOC.
I don't see ND scheduling SEC since they have to play five ACC games plus their traditional games. But BYU will help us avoid playing nine conference games.
Army ~ well, that is just another Sun Belt team we have promoted up the ladder. I do not have any problem with the equivalent with Notre Dame and BYU. But no way is Army or UMass equivalent. That is my gripe. Army is the team everyone wants for homecoming.
Army is equivalent to Purdue, Colorado, Wake Forrest, Kansas and Vandy. But ..... if equivalency is going to be based on the bottom feeders, then EVERYONE is equivalent to Power 5.