"Everyone else" made their own rules. No one consulted ND on whether to join conferences en masse in the 80s and 90s for TV money (ironic considering the common complaints about ND) and add $40 million conference championship games, and change the rules for who could have conference championship games as the Big 12 did. Nor should they have, because it was none of their business, just like it's none of the conferences' business what ND does. And "the system" "capitulates" because ND makes everyone a lot more money when they "capitulate". This is a steamy post.