In an offseason where the possibility of Big Ten expansion has been the talk of the sport, Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly took a few seconds Wednesday to stress how much he embraces the Fighting Irish's college football independence. Kelly was acknowledging a Kansas City radio station's report from earlier this week that said Notre Dame was one of four universities to be extended an initial offer to join the Big Ten. "From my standpoint, being the head football coach at Notre Dame, there's nothing better than being an independent football school," the coach, quoted in the South Bend Tribune, told the crowd at a scholar-athlete dinner. "I know you're hearing all these rumors about the Big Ten and all these other things, but let me tell you one thing, the history ... the tradition of Notre Dame football is steeped in that independence." http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=5185817
