Many fans are mad over the New York "home" game.

“I certainly understand people saying, ‘Hey, the Wisconsin series should be home and home, not neutral site,’ ” Swarbrick said. “That’s OK, but you really are saying, ‘It makes no sense to be independent anymore,’ because that is the basis of being independent. That’s why we do it.

“There’s no financial advantage to Notre Dame being independent. There is no competitive advantage to get into the College Football Playoff for Notre Dame to be independent. So why are we independent?

“We’re independent to have opportunities like this one. And I get people who say, ‘You shouldn’t do it.’ But then what you have to acknowledge is that you’re saying, ‘You shouldn’t be independent anymore.’