Than as an independent for one reason alone: inventory.

As an independent, NBC has access to only seven ND games per year, six home games plus the Shamrock Series game. By contrast, if ND joined the Big Ten, the Big Ten TV deal would cover all ND games except for road OOC games, so 10-11 games per year. From the networks' standpoint, 10-11 games per year has to be worth more than seven games per year (I understand NBC doesn't get the whole Big Ten package).

It goes into a pot along with the Minnesota-Indiana game, and then comes back out split evenly among all members. We don’t split the NBC revenue with anyone. (Though we make payouts to one-off teams.) Which is why we don’t ordinarily get away game tv revenue. I don’t recall if the ACC network gives us anything for football. It’s possible we get a small amount, but I would assume we don’t.

So if ND were to have a home schedule with two big brand matchups per year and otherwise had games that were as nationally attractive as the rest of the Big Ten slate would be, ND should make more money as an independent. It doesn’t have to prop up poorly performing conference members.

And would be looking at a smaller payout going forward as an independent. The most recently negotiated Big Ten deal has been estimated at about $80 million per year per member. The number I'm hearing for ND as an independent (and I could be wrong about this) is about $65 million per year. Personally, I think it's worth it to leave $15 million per year on the table under those circumstances to remain independent, but there's no doubt that we'll get less. Moreover, ND is one of the only, if not the only, non-Big Ten members who can drive the share of each conference member up by joining the conference. So clearly the networks are willing to pay more for us as part of the Big Ten than NBC is willing to pay for us as an independent.

I have heard that ND receives about $11 million per year from the ACC. That's obviously not a full share, but I'm not exactly sure how it's broken down. It could include some amount for ACC road football games.

They'll have it again in 2024 when they buy WB Discovery.

invested?

It can't be the announcers who have been second-rate at best. Haven't had a top-notch team since the beginning with Enberg and Walsh and the very brief period with Tirico and Dungy.

It can't be the telecast itself which pales in comparison to other networks broadcasts.

In addition to the booth. In past years they have flown out a separate on field halftime desk crew with Simms, mchugh, I think Rodney Harrison a few times.
They do huge entertainment weekends out there as well. Usc home years as well as whatever the best home game is. Clemson is the one this year where they'll have that hotel in Eddy st rented out for their VIP list. They bring out whatever star they can get for that weekend to hang out and tailgate and do dinner the night before at 7 on 9.

and more like NBC and ND bigwigs personally benefit from parties held on campus.

Nobody watching the game cares about an on-field halftime desk, nor about multiple sideline reporters.

Tom Hammond is a horse racing person. Dan Hicks is a swimming person. We ended up with Tirico by accident because he wanted Al's job and Al didn't want to leave so he had nothing better to do for five years.

NBC has been treating ND like a JV team since they lost the NFL package that CBS now has, frankly, and certainly since Enberg moved on.

dence for $10 million/year. But I have been led to believe that the difference is much greater than that. From everything I've read, $65-$70 million seems to be a wild overestimation of ND's current TV revenues. But maybe your NBC source knows better.

Announcers

"ND gets between $65-70mm per year from all sources nbc related football
That number is $75-80mm per year in the big ten, as the same number Rutgers gets in the situation NBC is proposing to ND as a big 10 member."

I don't follow what this says at all.

The current deal is worth about ten million less than joining the big 10. But joing conference would probably grow the deal bigger over time, whereas independence is pretty stable.

Pretty easily. If it was 30 or so I would at least understand why Saavy jack would look.

The whole players becoming employees is the bigger deal.

30 pieces of silver would only be worth about $75 today. On the other hand, depositing that money in a modestly-returning mutual fund, say 4%, would be worth ... slightly more.

“The situation NBC is proposing to NBC(?)……”