ACC

Our contract with the ACC requires us to play at least five football games a year with them...

Here’s my evaluation of them in some relevant categories as an ND opponent, along with my comments about scheduling in general.

This leaves us with seven other games each year.  Those seven will include at least two Big Ten Games each year, with Purdue and Michigan State being regulars; Southern Cal and Stanford every year (so our final game will be on the West Coast each year (when it’s real cold in the Bend) ; Navy every year, Army or Air Force frequently; and room for 1-2 other electives, with geography playing a role.  We will want to have six (6) home games; five (5) road games; and one (1) off-site home game.  This last part is going to be a tough chore to maintain, because we will be playing three away games in the ACC every other year.

B.C.                             Frequent ND opponent.  Fine academic fit.  Gets us to Alumni-rich Northeast.  Former  Davie Line Coach Steve Addazio is Head Coach.  Should be a win most years.

Duke                           Perfect academic fit.  Former ND A.D. Kevin White is A.D.  Should be a win most years. 

Florida State               Former big rival.  Gets us to talent-rich Florida.  Ex ND Hoopster Stan Wilcox is their A.D.   Will be very tough game every year.  BIG ratings game.

Georgia Tech               Frequent opponent over 90 year period.  Talent rich state.  Good academic fit.  Challenging  game every year.

Louisville                    Rising program.  Good ND area.  Former Holtz Defensive Line Coach Charlie Strong is  their Head Coach.  Should be a challenging game each year if they stay on this path.

Miami                          Former BIG rival.  Worked hard to remove former outlaw image.  Great Coach.  Gets us to  talent-rich state.  Will be very tough game every year.  HUGE ratings game.

North Carolina            Good academic fit.  Talent rich state.  ND Grad Bubba Cunningham (who hired me at ND)  is A.D.  Challenging game every year.              

North Carolina State   Not a team we would likely schedule because Duke and Wake offer better academic fit from  same area.  Should be a win most years.

Pittsburgh                    One of our top long-time rivals.  Gets us to alumni-rich location.  Challenging game every  year. 

Syracuse                      Long-time rival.  Gets us to alumni-rich location.  We should win most years.

Virginia                       Fine academic fit.  We should win most years.

Virginia Tech              Not a school we would likely schedule because Virginia offers the same location and better  academic fit.  Questionable standards for players.  Should be challenging game every  year.

Wake Forest                Perfect academic fit for ND.  Former ND Provost Nathan Hatch (wonderful man and close  friend) is their President.