The laziest, most frequently repeated refrain among Big Ten and SEC fans, coaches, and analysts is that Notre Dame should join a conference. However, changes in the college football landscape have the Miami Hurricanes wondering whether the Fighting Irish didn’t have this whole thing figured out after all.
Miami president Joe Echevarria recently spoke to Yahoo! Sports‘ Ross Dellenger about how the Hurricanes are coping with an uncertain future. The Protect College Sports Act aims, in some ways, to make that future more certain, but Echevarria strongly opposes one provision the PCSA might include.
Miami and several other ACC teams don’t want a restriction on conference expansion because they would like to join either the SEC or Big Ten eventually, the conferences making the most money in TV deals and set to make even more when those deals have to be renewed. Right now, only Notre Dame and UCONN are not directly affected by proposed expansion regulations because they’re already independent. Because they're starting this potential era of the PCSA, they can join a conference right away if they want.
"We are proud members of the ACC. If the economics were even, we wouldn't be having any of these conversations," Echevarria told Dellenger. "Thing is, we sit in the second tier. It's a reason we don't get a vote on the 24-team playoff and the Big Ten and SEC do."
Miami exploring football independence validates Notre Dame football strategy
That’s why the PCSA could eventually lead Miami to follow Notre Dame's lead and go independent. If the act passes with a rule requiring a team to be independent for three years before it can join a conference, Dellenger reported that Miami has taken steps to make that financially beneficial for the school and the football program.
Miami, among other schools, has reportedly been exploring life as a football independent with possible media partners such as Amazon. Echevarria didn’t confirm the Hurricanes will move in that direction if the PCSA passes, but he also didn’t shut down that talk.
"If we have to go independent, I like our chances because we are a national brand," he says. "I wouldn't like to do that because scheduling [other sports] is really tough. It's great for football but what about track, volleyball and the golf team?"
This seems like another way Notre Dame has the advantage over a school looking to follow its path in 2027 or beyond. The bill would seemingly force a school to go completely independent, rather than do what the Irish have done. Notre Dame is independent in football but is a member of the ACC in most other sports.
The Irish got that special carve-out by starting unaligned and then, in 2013, realizing it needed a conference to lean on for its non-revenue producers. The ACC, in turn, was more than happy to be associated wth a brand name like Notre Dame.
Even if the PCSA allows a school to go independent in football and stay in the ACC in other sports, the conference is unlikely to let Miami do that.
The future remains uncertain until the PCSA passes (assuming it does) and schools better understand what they can and can’t do regarding conference expansion and relocation.
Still, a group of university presidents who have spent years chiding Notre Dame for not joining a conference, joining them in independence would be the ultimate validation for the Fighting Irish.
Add us as a preferred source on Google