Notre Dame Has the Most National Appeal

Recently in the a roundtable of Rivals.com the question: Which school do you think has the most national appeal? The answers were in the favor of Notre Dame. Their answers are posted below:

Mike Farrell: Nationally I'll say it's still Notre Dame. The Irish can recruit in any state in the country and the appeal of the brand is very strong even without recent national titles or consistent success. Look at ND's 2011 recruiting class and you will see players from California, Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, South Carolina, Connecticut, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Georgia and New York. That's national appeal.

Adam Gorney: I believe Texas and USC have the greatest regional appeal - in that any kid the Longhorns recruit from that state usually play for them and the same can be said for Southern California prospects with USC - but from a national perspective I still think it's Notre Dame Recruits from all over the country go play at Notre Dame and it's not because it's in a beautiful area or that the team has had much recent success. It still holds a lot of tradition and prestige to be a part of that program and school. Nine states are represented in Notre Dame's 2012 recruiting class and most of them are not in the Midwest. Not many kids from Pennsylvania dream of playing for Texas. Not many Texas kids dream of playing at Penn State. But lots of kids from everywhere still dream of playing at Notre Dame.

Chris Nee: Tough to argue against Notre Dame. The school has a strong religious background, outstanding academics, great tradition on the field and a national television contract. Even when the Irish have been mediocre in recent years, they have provided mass appeal to recruits for a variety of reasons.

Keith Niebuhr: That's a difficult question to answer. Right now, I'm not sure one school in particular stands out. Instead I'd lump Alabama, Florida, Southern California and Texas into the top group. Six months ago, Ohio State would have been in that group, too. These are the schools that, from my experiences dealing with recruits, seem to get them the most excited. Of course, nothing is permanent. Ten years ago, Florida State, Miami, Nebraska and Michigan probably would have been at the top.

Brian Perroni: It would have definitely been USC until the recent sanctions as well as head coach Pete Carroll leaving for the NFL. I guess I would have to say Notre Dame right now. The Irish are seen with a sort of mystique by recruits and college football fans alike and it allows them to recruit all corners of the country. Whereas Ohio State and Michigan are largely comprised of prospects from the Midwest, Notre Dame has a much more national feel to its roster.