Sure, both of the stances Pinkel took were about self-preservation, given he plays in the Southeastern Conference – and having Notre Dame and a Big 12 team in the playoff mix is only more competition for his league. “I get that, but if down the road, you really want to do it right, I think, everybody’s in a league and everybody plays in a championship game, ideally”.
Advertisement
The NFL, Pinkel noted, has set a precedent he believes should be followed in college as well. You don’t have independents in the NFL.
At this year’s Big 12 media days, league commissioner Bob Bowlsby stayed the course, saying 10 teams is a good number for the conference.
Well, Missouri Tigers head coach Gary Pinkel has some strong feelings on that and Notre Dame fans aren’t going to be happy about them one bit. Navy will join the American Athletic Conference this season for football only.
Notre Dame could go undefeated and be a slam dunk pick for the Playoff whether Pinkel likes it or not and that will always be the case, because excluding a team from being eligible based on conference affiliation or lack thereof doesn’t hold any weight.
BYU will face Missouri in a November. 14 game at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.
Advertisement
Pinkel also made reference to it being “real important” that all of the so-called Power 5 conferences have a championship game. It’s nothing against Notre Dame. The Irish have clung to their independent status even as the Power 5 conferences have expanded in the last several years, becoming a member of the ACC for most every sport except football.
