Rockne's Roundtable

According to Chip Brown of orangebloods.com just now on Galloway and Company in Dallas:

Texas A&M officially filed paperwork to the Big 12 today notifying them that they were looking at different possible conference alignments. How does this affect ND? Apparently, Texas has said they will no longer play A&M at all. That game was held on Thanksgiving Day. Texas is apparently interested in playing the Irish every year in place of A&M on Thanksgiving. ND has said, tap the brakes just a bit because that is USC/Stanford Weekend.

Apparently, AD Swarbrick and ad Dodds have a very good relationship and Swarbrick communicated often with Dodds last Summer during all the realignment talk. According to Chip Brown of orangebloods.com, this relationship needs to be paid close attention to as we go forward. It is stronger than most think. Chip Brown said that Swarbrick leaned heavily on Dodds last year as the Big 10 was trying to get ND to join, Dodds suggested ND could join the Big 12. He even reportedly said that ND could bring all of its other sports and keep football independen for awhile. Dodds also told Swarbrick that the Big 10 will not allow you to have a ND network, but you can come to the Big 12 and have your own network, recruit the South with more exposure.

I just found all of this interesting and Chip Brown was all over these stories last Summer, so I think he is reliable.