According to a report in the Tulsa World, Notre Dame and the Tulsa are very close to agreeing to play each other in 2010 in Notre Dame Stadium.
As reported Monday on tulsaworld.com , TU is close to finalizing a deal with Notre Dame for an Oct. 30 game at South Bend, Ind.
“The two universities are in discussions to play football in the 2010 season,” said Don Tomkalski, TU associate athletic director for communications. “No contract has been signed.”
It is believed the parties have agreed in principle to the game.
Brian Hamilton of the Chicago Tribune added today that the game would be played in late October.
Other rumors over the past two days have said that Notre Dame is also close to adding TCU as well to fill out the 2010 schedule. Because of the 7-4-1 scheduling format Notre Dmae strives for, these are the kind of matchups that we’ll be looking at each year.
Blue and Gold Illusteated reported on Tuesday that these additions would be good for the Irish schedule in 2010. Notre Dame currently has an open spot on the roster on October 30.
And that’s why Tulsa and potentially TCU are great gets for Swarbrick and Notre Dame. Tulsa finished 11-3 last season, beat Ball State 45-13 in its bowl game, and finished No. 42 in the final Sagarin rankings, 11 spots ahead of Notre Dame. TCU went 11-2 last season, beat Boise State 17-16 in its bowl game, and finished No. 7 in the final Sagarin rankings, one spot ahead of Penn State. Those are a couple of solid opponents, if Swarbrick can get them both.
I disagree.
These are definitely not “great gets” for Notre Dame at all and it has nothing to do with the quality of either Tulsa or TCU as an opponent. They aren’t great gets for Notre Dame because it puts the Irish in a no win situation. If Notre Dame beats Tulsa and/or TCU no one will raise an eye brow since Notre Dame should win those games. If Notre Dame looses to either team it will be a big deal.
Adding TCU and Tulsa to 2010 schedule would also give Notre Dame fans the following exciting slate of home games to attend.
- September 4 – Purdue
- September 11 – Michigan
- September 25 – Stanford
- October 9 – Pittsburgh
- October 30 – Tulsa (potentially)
- November 13 – Utah
- November 20 – Army (Yankee Stadium)
- TCU (potentially)
That’s not exactly the kind of list of games that is going to be setting any ticket request records. Outside of Michigan, which is coming off a 3-9 season, there isn’t a single marquee home matchup.
You are lost man. What are you like 70 years old. That crap line of its only TCU is the reason why we can’t beat MSU. Oh its MSU we’ll beat them. Everyone has talent now and Utah and TCU would be excellent games. TCU is a top 25 now almost every year. Its not just ND doing this its all of college football and finally we’re joining in. Everyone is weakening their schedules. Wake up! It’s not 1970 anymore.
Living in Fort Worth, I can say that most TCU fans are worried playing ND will be an unnecessary distraction in a year that we should have a legitimate opportunity to crash the BCS. Other than the money, most fans here think it is a small upside to beating ND (no help to SoS) and big downside scenario for the Frogs losing. With TX Tech, Utah, BYU, and Baylor already on the scheudle in 2010…what’s the point of playing a lower quality BCS team on the road in the middle of the Conference season?
By the time we play any of these teams, we better drill any of them into the ground. Alabama would be the best on the list, followed by Penn St. Miami has not rebounded yet and is more questionable than a solid TCU.
Truly Notre Dame and the Non-BCS schools have an opportunity. The BCS is rotten as is ESPN’s control too many conferences and the reporting thereof. If the new independents ( non-BCS ) prove parity as the Mountain West did last year, there will be a case not to assume that the only quality opponents exist in the BCS. Frankly other than the SEC, each BCS conference has 2 or 3 quality teams and then mostly weak teams in the scheme of things. But historically even the very top ranked teams have had no more than 4 top 25 opponents in any given year. It’s hard get more than that and not too good for your team’s chances to run the table. Once there isn’t all the money to support the system, I predict an implosion and a completely new setup similar to D-2 and D-3.
In the meantime, I wouldn’t get too hung up on ND’s schedule. Until they run the table one or two years in a row, someone will bash them. I just want to see them smoke every opponent.
I think you are delusional if you believe most people expect Notre Dame to beat TCU. They are a perennial top 25 team.
3 Teams I would much rather see on the ND schedule:
1) Miami
2) Penn State
3) Alabama
That being said ND’s recruiting presence in Texas/Oklahahoma has been lacking in recent years. If the Irish were to establish a presence with teams from that area there could be some major upside. I have no interest in playing Tulsa for the reasons stated by Frankie V, but TCU is a very well-established program and nothing but good can come from showing interest in a region we haven’t competed with in several years now.
I’d much rather play TCU then go back to playing the likes of Texas, OU, or even a school like Texas Tech for that matter. There is so much talent in the Texas/Oklahoma region as evidenced by the success of not only OU and UT, but also Ok St, TT, Mizzou etc. There is a direct correlation between playing teams in an area and acquiring recruits from that same area. Playing USC, UCLA, and Stanford all in the same season directly or maybe indirectly has resulted in an enormous influx of West Coast recruits.
The bottom line Texas and Oklahoma are stacked with young talent. Putting TCU on the schedule, hopefully for several years, will likely put ND on the radar screen for such athletes. There are currently 6 players on the ND roster from TX/OK. I think we could do better. Maybe even consider throwing Texas A&M on the schedule??? They’ve been down for a while now.
I’d still rather see the Irish renew the rivalry with the ‘Canes before any other opponent gets put on the schedule, period…just some thoughts.
Go Irish.
@Frankie V
My point was that it’s not a no win situation. It wasn’t a no-win situation for OU, it wouldn’t be a no win situation for us. Also, I think you’re overstating people’s expectations of ND. After looking at the media (and listening to how ESPN fully expects Nevada to beat ND), and looking at what they think of TCU, I think many people would recognize this for what it is (ND scheduling a good opponent).
I’m a big believer that ND should champion the anyone/anytime/anywhere philosophy that we used to. We shouldn’t look at games and say no, because it could be a no win. ND needs to have that chip on it’s shoulder. We need to say we’re willing to give anyone a shot on a big stage and take all comers.
I mean, when it all boils down, what’s the difference between not scheduling mid-major quality teams because they’re ‘no-win’ games, and not scheduling Navy, or Army because they’re ‘inferior’. If ND were to not play Navy, I think it would be tragic. You’re worrying about the down-side. If we’re going to have the swagger ND deserves, we need to send a message that we’re not afraid of a challenge AND that we’re not afraid of risk.
@Bill,
I agree that TCU is a quality opponent. My point was that adding them to the schedule is a no win situation for Notre Dame because the perception will be that Notre Dame should beat them easily. The reality of the situation will be that TCU will be a tough game though.
Should Notre Dame win, it won’t really be a big deal. Should Notre Dame lose though, it would be a HUGE deal.
It’s not that I don’t think TCU is a good team, it’s just that scheduling them, along with Tulsa, puts ND in a no-win situation.
As an SMU alum, and huge ND fan, I have to respectfully disagree. I can understand Tulsa not being considered a huge get, more like a mediocre get. However, TCU is a team worth scheduling.
hold on a second while I go hurl.
thank you, now, I hate the idea of typing this, but TCU is a quality opponent. Over the past 7 years, TCU has finished in the top 25 five times. and the top 10 twice. Compare that to ND’s three times in the top 25 over the same period.
lets see how they stack up against Stanford, or Washington, or Washington State, or hell even UCLA. Point is, they’re leagues better than who we’re scheduling.
Look, I’m not just saying this because I’d love nothing more than to see ND beat the tar out of a team I despise, I’m also saying this because it would be a quality win. Ask OU, that win over TCU was what helped push OU past UT in the BCS rankings. turns out that when you beat a team, and they only have one other loss (to an undefeated team) it looks pretty good on your bowl resume.