ND-Michigan Series Hiatus?

osugrad21 · #1 (**permalink**) 07-21-2007, 11:16 AM

Detroit Free Press

Michigan-Notre Dame taking a break

July 21, 2007
Despite the apparent best efforts of U-M athletic director Bill Martin, Michigan and Notre Dame may not play for two years. The same deal will follow for Michigan State.
The current U-M/Notre Dame contract expires in 2011 and, according to Notre Dame athletic director Kevin White, the teams will take at least two years off.

A story in the (Ala.) Press-Register today said, "White said the Fighting Irish will take a short break from their Big 10 rivals in the future, replacing Michigan with Oklahoma for a two-year period, then facing Arizona State instead of Michigan State for two years."

Cont...

wadc45 · #2 (**permalink**) 07-23-2007, 11:58 AM

Notre Dame to take a break from U-M

Quote:

July 22, 2007

Despite the apparent best efforts of U-M athletic director Bill Martin, Michigan and Notre Dame will take a hiatus on their football series.

The current Michigan-Notre Dame contract expires in 2011, and the teams will take at least two years off, Notre Dame senior associate athletic director John Heisler said Saturday.

The problem with finding a year to resume the series is a bit more complicated because Michigan would like Notre Dame and Ohio State to play in Ann Arbor on opposite years to boost the home schedule.

That creates a conflict for the Irish, who want to stagger their home years with USC and Michigan -- both big draws. Because the Pac-10 schedules its conference slate nearly a decade in advance and includes the Notre Dame-USC as part of that, the Irish have little wiggle room.

But Heisler said he expects the series to resume.

The Fighting Irish and Michigan have worked to extend the contract, but Notre Dame's new plan to try to rotate in different teams threw a wrench in the talks.

Michigan State also will go off the schedule for two years, but, according to MSU associate athletic director John Lewandowski, the Spartans already have a deal with the Fighting Irish to resume after that.

"We're trying to create a scheduling strategy based on the expectation that there will continue to be a 12th game," Heisler said. "We're trying to have seven games per year in South Bend, four games on the road and the 12th an off-site (neutral) game."

To accomplish that, they must work around the USC deal and Navy, both longstanding rivalries.

The problem is there are three consistent Big Ten opponents -- Michigan, MSU and Purdue -- so Notre Dame is planning to get them on an overlapping four years on, two years off rotation.

"We want to continue those relationships," Heisler said.

Notre Dame is Michigan's most frequent nonconference opponent, playing 34 games since they began meeting in 1887.

The nation's two winningest programs, both in victories and percentage, took a long break from each other, 1910-77.

The teams have played consistently since then, with only minor breaks in the series, in 1983-84 and again in 2000-01.

By Mark Snyder

OSwho? · #3 (**permalink**) 07-23-2007, 01:46 PM

I really do not like this. I really wish they'd just leave this damn game alone and let them play it every year. Notre Dame is Michigan's second biggest rival, next to Ohio State of course, and the rivalry gets tarnished in my eyes when they keep taking a break from the series.

BrutuStrength · #4 (**permalink**) 07-23-2007, 02:13 PM

They've taken some pretty good hits the past few years from their B10 opponents. At least they're replacing them with some quality programs and not looking for more service academies.

wadc45 · #5 (**permalink**) 07-23-2007, 02:15 PM

They dodged Alabama...Cowherd was going off on both ND and OSU for their schedules this year on his show today. He was especially going after ND for dropping UM...

OSwho? · #6 (**permalink**) 07-23-2007, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wadc45

They dodged Alabama...Cowherd was going off on both ND and OSU for their schedules this year on his show today. He was especially going after ND for dropping UM...

I really cannot stand Cowherd. Anyway, why is he going off on Ohio State for their schedule this year? Doesn't he know that the schedules are made years in advance? Ohio State is also one of the few schools out there that actually has the balls to schedule games with other power house teams, is he forgetting the Texas series that fast?

If the bonehead wants to bash anybody over schedules he should be bashing the SEC teams because with the exception of Arkansas and Auburn (who have both played USC OOC recently) none of them have had the balls to schedule anybody OOC.

MSUsportz1 · #7 (**permalink**) 07-26-2007, 12:01 AM

To add to Notre Dame dropping Michigan, they will be droping MSU in 2011, and 2012 (or sometime around then).

altrock78 · #8 (**permalink**) 07-26-2007, 01:34 PM

The way i understand it, this is all Michigans fault that this series is taking a break

SNIPE26 · #9 (**permalink**) 07-27-2007, 04:42 AM

Obviously I'm gonna say it isn't completely Michigan's fault . From my understanding, Michigan doesn't want to play Notre Dame and Ohio State in the same year on the road. On the other hand, Notre Dame doesn't want to do the same with USC and Michigan. Hence the stalemate. However, recently Michigan has been getting the "shaft" playing ND and OSU on the road the same year. Perhaps ND could reciprocate?

OSwho? · #10 (**permalink**) 07-27-2007, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by altrock78

The way i understand it, this is all Michigans fault that this series is taking a break

You are wrong, this was all ND. They wanted to play other teams, and dropped UM to line up a game with Oklahoma.

altrock78 · #11 (**permalink**) 07-27-2007, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OSwho?

You are wrong, this was all ND. They wanted to play other teams, and dropped UM to line up a game with Oklahoma.

Im sorry thats false. As much as a hate Notre Dame, its simply not there fault at all. It was the arrogance of the Michigan athletics office

Think about it, this is how it was approached by UM:

"We dont want to play you (ND) and OSU on the road in the same year, so we will gladly offer to play you in Ann Arbor two years in a row to straighten things out"

Was ND supposed to accept a shitty deal like that? They tried to negotiate but to no avail. So like i said, all Michigan's fault here . ND didnt want to play other teams, if they did why continue to schedule Michigan after the 2 year OU series?

OSwho? · #12 (**permalink**) 07-27-2007, 01:59 PM

Give it up, you are 100% false.

Martin and White are on record in the media saying it was ND's decision.

Michigan had nothing to do with it. ND wanted to take a break from the series, they wanted to schedule more games with traditional powers in different geographic regions that would have national appeal and even have some at nuetral sites, and they are doing this for recruiting purposes moreso than anything.

altrock78 · #13 (**permalink**) 07-27-2007, 11:43 PM

Laughable, you can keep reciting SIDs statements all you want it doesnt make them true! Of course ND left the deal, Michigan was trying to F them in the A by forcing them to play at AA 2 years in a row! The Arrogance!

ant80 · #14 (**permalink**) 07-28-2007, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by altrock78

Laughable, you can keep reciting SIDs statements all you want it doesnt make them true! Of course ND left the deal, Michigan was trying to F them in the A by forcing them to play at AA 2 years in a row! The Arrogance!

Do you have any sources that substantiate that statement or are you shooting your mouth off? The contract for the ND-UM series will take the home-home rotation into consideration. If the contract expires in 2011, the next contract should implement the year-switching. If the contract is for four years, say ND-UM-ND-UM, and ends, the next contract could read UM-ND-UM-ND. Doesn't mean UM is arrogant, as long as visits are reciprocated, that's all that matters. Your theory is untenable.