Notre Dame’s Swarbrick Calls Division I Breakup ‘Inevitable’

[XU_Lou]

Sad if true:

Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick told Sports Illustrated that he believes the breakup of college sports at the NCAA Division I level is “inevitable,” and puts a potential target date on that seismic change as the mid-2030s. Swarbrick also said there are “so many” schools trying to leave their current conferences, but they’re handcuffed by existing contracts.

In a wide-ranging interview with SI, the only athletic director who is part of the College Football Playoff Management Committee said the fracture lines within the 130-member FBS could leave two disparate approaches: schools that still operate athletics within a traditional educational structure, and those who tie sports to the university in name only.

https://www.si.com/college/2022/04/23/notre-dame-jack-swarbrick-division-1-change

Hopefully SM can get us to the promised land before it all goes up in smoke.

[Xavier]

Feels like the NCAA is hanging on for life. They have seen the writing on the wall for awhile and the NIL/free transfer stuff is a last ditch effort to stay alive. The lack of foresight from the NCAA put themselves in this position. The rate it’s going mid 2030’s seems optimistic, but contracts and things like that- take longer to play out.

At the end of the day/ thank God X isn’t a footballl school. I think being in a basketball focused conference will help keep X alive as NIL takes over. We just saw a top transfer get $800K to go to a school. Money like that is typical in football. I’m worried about what it can mean for X if it becomes normal in bball.

Luckily- basketball talent in college isn’t as top heavy. You can get St Peters making a run. It’s why there is hope on basketball side of things. College football is going to get even more top heavy and you just can’t see even solid major programs have a realistic shot at winning anything. And I think if the NCAA had real visionary they could’ve saved it. Oh well, I don’t care about cfb much. And the NCAA is such a shit show I look forward to them falling apart. Regardless, its going to blow up. I’m not sure there is a way to turn it around. Oh well, maybe we are lucky and the “new”‘NCAA isn’t too dissimilar.

I know there is a thread about paying athletes right now. I get the merit. I wish it could be more controlled because X and any NIL partners they can snag won’t be able to keep up. It’s the biggest reason X could be irrelevant in 15 years and cbb turning into cfb. And I think it’s 50/50 of becoming reality, unfortunately

[MHettel]

Luckily- basketball talent in college isn’t as top heavy. You can get St Peters making a run. It’s why there is hope on basketball side of things. College football is going to get even more top heavy and you just can’t see even solid major programs have a realistic shot at winning anything. And I think if the NCAA had real visionary they could’ve saved it. Oh well, I don’t care about cfb much. And the NCAA is such a shit show I look forward to them falling apart. Regardless, its going to blow up. I’m not sure there is a way to turn it around. Oh well, maybe we are lucky and the “new”‘NCAA isn’t too dissimilar.



I’m sure there are many programs that are trying to become the next St. Peter’s. Catch lightning in the bottle and make a Cinderella run to the Elite 8. And then have you coach poached and all your good players transfer.

And that’s the BEST CASE scenario for about 2/3rds of the D1 basketball schools.

[Xavier]

I’m sure there are many programs that are trying to become the next St. Peter’s. Catch lightning in the bottle and make a Cinderella run to the Elite 8. And then have you coach poached and all your good players transfer.

And that’s the BEST CASE scenario for about 2/3rds of the D1 basketball schools.

Which is no different than it’s ever been. 2/3rds of college bball has always been hope for a miracle season and return to irrelevance. No NIL or transfer rule impacts that.

[MHettel]

Which is no different than it’s ever been. 2/3rds of college bball has always been hope for a miracle season and return to irrelevance. No NIL or transfer rule impacts that.

Really? Having to sit out a year didn’t have an impact on the number of players transferring?

Do you actually believe that or do you just forget?

[Xavier]

Really? Having to sit out a year didn’t have an impact on the number of players transferring?

Do you actually believe that or do you just forget?

Huh? All im saying was even before the rule- 2/3rds of cbb best hope was a st Peters miracle run season. The transfer rule doesn’t change that. It has always been the case?

[XUBison]

Huh? All im saying was even before the rule- 2/3rds of cbb best hope was a st Peters miracle run season. The transfer rule doesn’t change that. It has always been the case?

His point was all their players transferred after they made a run, curb-stomping any chance they would’ve had to build a program through continued success. That would’ve happened before the new transfer rule? I’m not sure why people keep insisting nothing has changed – such a dishonest narrative.

[Xavier]

I think the lower level schools will have more talent than they’ve ever had. Guys that got recruited to high majors that couldn’t beat out other high recruits will head to those schools more often. Just look at Xavier’s past transfers- how many went on to power 5 schools?

[A Fan]

I think the lower level schools will have more talent than they’ve ever had. Guys that got recruited to high majors that couldn’t beat out other high recruits will head to those schools more often. Just look at Xavier’s past transfers- how many went on to power 5 schools?

This is a very valid and overlooked aspect of the NIL/Transfer phenomenon. Think about how many wash outs X has had over the last 5 years. Recruits who were thought to be BE capable but were not. Just as the mid majors can lose their best players to the big NIL schools they can lose their bench to the next level down. Understandably, players want to play. Once they sense they have no chance unless they wait around a few years, they will leave. Once they leave, if they had been “ overlooked” or not properly developed, they might realize their potential. I see the Travis Steele’s of the college ranks recruiting heavily those players who thought they were too good for the MAC, got sidelined, and want to play. That is where the next “ St. Peter’s” teams will be assembled.