Michigan has the largest alumni association in the world. They have to try to find a way to make sure every single student at Michigan has the ability to attend at least one game during their four years in Ann Arbor, demand for tickets in the Big House is so high. There may be some “we were a big-time football program winning championships before Knute even arrived in South Bend” chest-thumping going on there, but there is some truth to that claim. Their monetary success in football is not contingent on playing Notre Dame.
Playing Notre Dame doesn’t help their recruiting, while establishing an intersectional game with a UCLA or a Southern Cal or even a Southeastern or Southwestern opponent would be a huge boon to their recruiting.
I had never seen that quote before, though, so thanks for pointing it out.

did anyone else notice all the red and yellow jerseys that were sporting “HOOK’EM” in the rose bowl when Texas whipped USC…and they did it all throughout the year. i think they might have all known that it was inevitable.