Joel Klatt is sounding the alarm on something college football fans and decision-makers alike have been circling for a while now: Notre Dame’s independence might be turning from a proud tradition into a strategic liability in the new College Football Playoff era.
Speaking on The Herd, Klatt didn’t mince words. He pointed out that under the 12-team CFP format, there’s less and less incentive for Power Four programs to keep Notre Dame on the schedule.
Why? Because the Irish, by operating outside of a conference, avoid the week-to-week grind that teams in the Big Ten and SEC have to survive-yet still maintain a clear path to the playoff.
“It does not behoove anybody to schedule Notre Dame,” Klatt said. “They have such an advantage over teams in the Big Ten and SEC that are playing much more difficult schedules.”
And he’s not wrong. The new playoff structure has shown us that win-loss records often outweigh strength of schedule when push comes to shove.
That’s a problem for teams in the top conferences, where every week is a minefield. Now imagine being USC, fresh into the Big Ten, asked to play nine conference games-and then also add Notre Dame to your slate.
Klatt’s rhetorical question drives the point home: “It doesn’t make any sense for them.”
Notre Dame, of course, has long been the outlier. They’re independent in football but have a scheduling agreement with the ACC that gives them five games a year against that conference.
In every other sport, they’re full ACC members. But football independence is sacred in South Bend-rooted in history, tradition, and a national brand that’s stood tall for decades.
Still, Klatt argues that the sport has evolved, and the Irish may need to evolve with it.
“I think Notre Dame should join a conference,” he said. “It would be better for college football.”
That’s a big statement, and it cuts to the heart of a growing debate. As access to the playoff becomes more dependent on conference championships and as elite programs try to protect their postseason chances, scheduling equity becomes more than just a talking point-it becomes a competitive necessity.
Notre Dame’s independence has always been a source of pride. But in today’s landscape, where every win and every opponent is scrutinized under the CFP microscope, that independence might start to look more like an advantage others can’t afford to give. And if that perception keeps growing, pressure will only mount on the Irish to finally join the party.