Contrary to multiple “reports,” which were proven false (and as they were proven false, I will not dignify the source of these reports with neither a link nor a mention. Ok, it was Rivals.com Texas Longhorns site Orangebloods) Notre Dame is NOT JOINING THE BIG 12.
I asked Notre Dame Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick at the BCS meetings in Chicago about the Big 12 affiliation report:
“We have done nothing to cause that to happen, no meetings, no anything, I don’t know the source of that or why it occurred. It is not based on any discussion, any meeting we have done,” he responded.
Rumor had it that the Olympic sports will join, not football.
AD Jack Swarbrick on report of non-football sports to Big 12: “I have no idea what prompted that.”
Swarbrick also added this joke, in reference to the Big 12 Commissioner.
“I saw that and I thought (Bob) Bowlsby and I should hold hands up there.”
But the big news is that a new seeded four team playoff model was agreed upon by the conference commissioners. Swarbrick on Notre Dame’s place in the new playoff format: “There’s no obstacle to that for us. If we earn it, we can play in it.”
Paul M. Banks is CEO of The Sports Bank.net, an official Google News site generating millions of unique visitors. He’s also a regular contributor to Chicago Now, Chicago Tribune.com, Fox Sports, MSN, Walter Football and Yardbarker
A Fulbright scholar and MBA, Banks has appeared on live radio all over the world; and he’s a member of the Football Writers Association of America, U.S. Basketball Writers Association, and Society of Professional Journalists. The President of the United States follows him on Twitter (@Paul_M_BanksTSB) You should too