I don't know the "rules" ...

I'm not sure anybody knows the rules. I'm not sure there are any rules, and if there are, they seem to be changing by the week and ignored by the day.

Your point about ND football attracting more money is inarguable. Your plan makes sense to me, as somebody who doesn't know the financials or the rules.

I'm strongly in favor of giving every Notre Dame sport everything it needs to be consistently excellent.

I celebrated and cherished every Notre Dame national championship, the two College World Series appearances in my lifetime and the ACC men's basketball tournament championship, among others -- although I haven't been alive for as many of these accomplishments as Sprack.

But I would not trade infinity championships in all of the other sports for one national championship in football.

I realize not everyone feels the same way, and I don't begrudge anyone, particularly former players, their different view.

But I also think it's inarguable that without football, Notre Dame would be a radically different place than it is today. And I don't really think you can make the case that's true of any other sport.

As somewhat of an aside, I do recognize that competing for football national championships "requires" spending stupid money, with no end in sight until there is a collective bargaining agreement. I hate it, but as long as Notre Dame has the means to do so without doing violence to its academic (and student development) mission, I am strongly in favor of spending that kind of money. To borrow from Hyman Rothstein, "This is the business we've chosen."

I don't think that Notre Dame has to outspend everyone, but I do think we have to be in the ballpark -- and it is an insane ballpark. Very few of the kinds of players Notre Dame needs to legitimately compete for national championships are going to be interested for long if Notre Dame is perceived as clearly being a rung below the (other) elites.

I do think that Marcus Freeman can be and is a "tie-breaker" for the right families and the right kids, as long as we're in the ballpark.