Like many other fans of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, I am approaching the seemingly imminent Irish move to full-time conference membership with a kind of resigned acceptance. Notre Dame held out as long as they could - longer than any other school could - and put themselves into a hell of a negotiating position by doing so, but now it appears the Irish will have to cash in soon or else be shut out of the future of the sport. Losing independence will be a loss, but it is one I can handle if necessary.
If the Irish do indeed make that jump, it appears likely that the aggressively expanding Big Ten would be their home.