If Notre Dame wanted to be in a conference, it would be in a conference. The Irish don’t lack for suitors. Clearly, Notre Dame savors its football independence, even as super conferences spring up.
The Irish don’t hold all the cards, though.
Conference commissioners could nudge Notre Dame into a conference by hammering out a College Football Playoff that would penalize the Irish’s independence.
That’s where the SEC comes in.
Greg Sankey’s conference may become an important ally in Notre Dame’s desire to remain independent.
A Notre Dame-SEC alliance should be more productive than the farcical Alliance between the ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12, because the desired outcomes for Notre Dame and the SEC overlap.