Tyler Buchner, Notre Dame Football News: Draft Scout Player News

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07/03/22 - WR Tyler Buchner, rSr/2026, Notre Dame

Multiple sources told The Times that the Big Ten will not be adding another Pac-12 school at this time. It would have been a natural assumption that a pairing of Oregon and Washington would follow their longtime conference brethren, but that is off the Big Ten's board for now. Maybe the preferences of USC and UCLA - Fox's priority because of the the brands and the Los Angeles market - have something to do with that?. That means Notre Dame will be the next driver in any movement with the Big Ten, which has long coveted the Fighting Irish for all of the obvious reasons - brand power, football tradition, academic reputation and location.

If Notre Dame rebuffs the Big Ten and elects to stay independent in football and play other sports in the Atlantic Coast Conference, it's possible the Big Ten takes a pause and continues to consider the remaining Pac-12 brands and ACC brands that fit the Big Ten model, such as North Carolina, Virginia and Georgia Tech. But, make no mistake, Notre Dame is the ultimate get and the Big Ten has more to offer the Irish than ever before - a chance to share a conference with historic rival USC along with other rivals Michigan, Purdue and Michigan State; a chance to shoot its take from media rights into a new stratosphere; and a chance to assure itself of a rightful place at the power brokers' table going forward. Notre Dame has to be getting the itch. If it isn't, its longtime TV partner NBC will have good reason to nudge it into considering the Big Ten's offer. Reports are that NBC wants a Big Ten game as part of the conference's new media rights package. - Los Angeles Times

rSr/2026