Would Notre Dame actually consider relinquishing its historic independent status?

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- When USC and UCLA announced their decision last week to join the Big Ten in 2024, Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick was watching closely. After all, every time the sport realigns, his program gets dragged into the conversation.

"Much like Texas and Oklahoma," he said, "I was surprised at the timing less than the actual move."

It was almost a year ago that those Big 12 co-founders announced their intent to join the SEC -- a shocking move that eventually forced the Big 12 to piece itself together with BYU, Houston, Cincinnati and UCF. It seemed like a blueprint for what happened this summer, as many in the Pac-12 were caught by surprise heading into a holiday…