Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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UPON FURTHER REVIEW TODD D. BURLAGE university to bank any and all revenue it generates through its television con- tract and other marketing endeavors. Future membership in the ACC gives Notre Dame a chance to build a heavy presence along the East Coast, all the way from Boston in the north to Miami in the south, in the most competitive conference in the country. Swarbrick seems so calculating, is it current BCS contract ends in 2014. Not only was Swarbrick able to keep his school in the playoff picture as an in- dependent, but he also helped to design a selection format that rewards sched- ule strength, another advantage given Notre Dame's aggressive philosophy in that area. Swarbrick didn't just have a seat possible that ending a long-standing football series with a stealthy slip of a note to Michigan AD Dave Brandon also served as a message that the Big Ten needs Notre Dame more than Notre Dame needs the Big Ten? Probably not, but the relationship between conference and school has been laced with some contentiousness since Notre Dame said no thanks to joining the Big Ten in 1999. In terms of football scheduling, Swarbrick dramatically improved the initiative of former athletics direc- tor Kevin White, taking the Irish into bigger markets — New York in 2010, Washington, D.C., in 2011, Chicago in 2012, Arlington, Texas, in 2013, and Philadelphia in 2014 — showcasing the Notre Dame brand in fresh mar- kets to boost recruiting and exposure. Beyond that, Swarbrick recently at the discussion table, he steered the conversation and was the man who stepped to the podium and announced that a playoff was finally coming to col- lege football. In terms of Director's Cup standings — a competition between colleges that measures results from 20 varsity sports to crown a national champion — Notre Dame has actually slipped six spots to a No. 21 average finish under Swarbrick, compared to a No. 15 average finish in eight years under White. But all college sports are obviously not created equally. And the direction Swarbrick has mapped for the lucrative Notre Dame football program far out- weighs slight slippage in any Olympic sports performances — no disrespect intended to those important programs. Swarbrick didn't come to town with secured home-and-home series with Oklahoma and Texas, putting the Notre Dame football footprint right in the middle of two of the biggest markets in Big 12 country. But perhaps Swarbrick's most defin- ing moment since his arrival at Notre Dame came this summer when he be- came the ringleader during negotia- tions to help neuter the existing BCS and adopt a four-team playoff after the a crystal ball, soothsaying powers or a feathered headdress. He came to South Bend with a clear vision of where the tide of college athletics was heading and a promise that Notre Dame would stay on the crest of the wave. Mission accomplished. ✦ Todd D. Burlage has been a writer for Blue & Gold Illustrated since July 2005. He can be reached at tburlage@blueandgold.com