It was March 2016 and the unthinkable had finally happened. After years of developing rivalries with schools in the Big Ten, the speculation was finally over. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish had joined the Big Ten conference.
One small detail: They would only be joining the conference for men’s ice hockey.
Much like the addition of Notre Dame to the ACC in basketball, I was overcome with excitement to hear about the Irish joining the B1G in hockey. Unlike basketball, this wasn’t because I necessarily thought it would bring on better competition, that’s for debate. Leaving Hockey East for the B1G was a plus for multiple reasons.