ASU AD: Notre Dame would rather play Rice or Temple
Jun 4, 2013, 10:46 PM | Updated: Jun 5, 2013, 4:26 am
Near as anyone can tell, Arizona State would still like to host Notre Dame at Sun Devil Stadium in 2014, yet the Fighting Irish have little interest in taking on the Sun Devils.
However, that issue is not yet officially settled, meaning there is still some negotiating to be done and some conversations to be had between the schools.
“Talking to them as recently as two hours ago, we’re still in discussions,” ASU athletic director Steve Patterson told Arizona Sports 620’s Doug and Wolf Tuesday afternoon.
What, exactly, is being discussed is not entirely clear. Notre Dame, having moved to the ACC, is trying to free up a spot on the schedule to take on another conference foe. However, ASU is not exactly pleased with the idea of seeing one of the biggest draws on its 2014 schedule bail so late in the process. Notre Dame, who Arizona State will play on October 5 of this year in Cowboys Stadium, was in the 2012 BCS Championship Game and would provide a big early-season matchup for coach Todd Graham and the Sun Devils.
“I think they’re excited about their new TV contract with the ACC, so they think it’s probably not as beneficial to come to Tempe and take on Todd’s team,” Patterson said. “I think they’ve got a football coach who would prefer to play Rice and Temple.
“But we’ll keep talking and see where we can get.”
Rice, who is a member of Conference USA, went 7-6, whereas Temple, as part of the Big East, finished with a 4-7 mark.
The Devils, on the other hand, finished 2012 with an 8-5 record and appear to be on the upswing as a program.
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