I wonder if the Big Ten won't have all the paperwork ready to invite someone else and call up Notre Dame and say "last chance..." Notre Dame's independent status has advantages and disadvantages. It lets them keep all of their revenue. But if the shine ever wears off the Golden Dome, it could be a disadvantage. Football teams have various degrees of "mystique" about them. Some have little, and a few bad years can leave them them in a deep hole. A conference acts like a safety net, even if you fall, you're still a member of the Big Ten conference, and that gives you a certain minimum "mystique". Plus your schedules and revenue are guaranteed.
An but when the "mystique" wears off an independent, they can fall a long ways. Those sweet TV deals might not be forthcoming, and you might not be as appealing of a non-conference opponent. Perhaps Notre Dame will turn it around, and live up to their legend. Or perhaps not, and the golden dome might just become a little less shiny.
