...then why is Holmoe so eager to get us into a P5 league?

"It's our intention (to) be playing in a Power 5 conference sometime in the near future."

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=498&sid=33601035

It is funny that the article includes the qualifier "technically" a P5 school. It's like they don't know what to do with us, or where to place us. I've never read or heard that word used for any school that is a member of a P5 conference or ND. Ever.

When conference re-alignment was in full-swing, all of the P5 conferences were chompin' at the bit to get Notre Dame to join them as a full-fledged member in all sports before ND signed on w/ the ACC for sports other than football. They wouldn't give up independence in football because they already have a seat at the table in terms of bowl tie-ins and affiliation, and have a great thing going with their exclusive/lucrative NBC contract.

If we (like ND) are viewed as a full-fledged P5 independent, why weren't conferences as eager to include us in conference expansion? Using ND as a model for an independent who is viewed universally as P5, why don't we currently have similar bowl tie-ins and/or compensation?

It is so nice of many of the P5's to "view" us as a P5 opponent for scheduling purposes. No skin off their nose - we still don't have a seat at the table in terms of shared revenue.

The SEC also agreed to "view" Army as a P5 opponent. So by loose definition, that would make Army a P5 school as well. If that is the case, do we more closely resemble ND as an independent (in terms of bowl tie-ins/payouts and overall compensation) or Army?

I agree with what others have said in terms of independence being a much better alternative than the MWC for football. But we still have not reached legitimate P5 status, which is why Holmoe is working so diligently to make that a reality.