College Football

End of Michigan series partially about Notre Dame recruiting Texas

One reason the Irish wanted out of their series with the Wolverines? They'd rather play Texas instead.

By Peter Berkes Sep 9, 2013, 11:54am EDT

Michigan and Notre Dame played at the Big House for the final time for the foreseeable future on Saturday night, and there has been much discussion of A) whether this was a rivalry at all for the schools (it is) and B) who/what is to blame for the series coming to a temporary end. One thing Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick mentioned while speaking to Sports Illustrated was that the Fighting Irish wanted to increase their presence in Texas.

"In essence, the substitution I'm making for the next six years is really Texas for Michigan," Swarbrick said, referencing a four-game series with the Longhorns that starts in 2015. "That has to do with getting us to the Southwest. I've got plenty of Midwest presence. If I say to myself, is Notre Dame at an advantage by being in Texas or Ann Arbor, it's more of an advantage being in Austin."

The Irish already have eight players on their roster from Texas, but trying to get additional exposure in the richest recruiting state in the country is never a bad idea. Notre Dame will also play Arizona State in Arlington, Texas on Oct. 5.

Notre Dame also needed to create more flexibility in its schedule so it could accommodate its new partial ACC slate, which begins in 2014. However, that won't stop Michigan fans from calling Notre Dame chickens in a variety of ways for ending the series.