LOL. You don't understand the economics very well. Notre Dame does not need to go to bowl games, (they have turned down bowl invitations before) and the first time they were high ranked and were not invited, the playoff system would totally collapse.
They will sell out every game they play during the year regardless of where they play. That is how strong their following is around the nation. Their games are all on TV not just in Indiana, but around the country. No other school even comes close to having the fan base they do and they see no reason to split their revenues with some conference.
LOL. I wasn't suggesting that Notre Dame needs the REVENUE from bowl games, but rather appreciates the PRESTIGE that comes from winning a bowl game or a national championship. They do have an incredible fan base. That fan base likes to watch their team play, and play for the big prize if ND does well enough in a season. It's about bragging rights, not the money (although the $$ is a nice bonus).
The point I was trying to make was that IF the rule were to change to where participation in a 1A CONFERENCE is the ONLY avenue to get INTO a bowl game, then I imagine that some of their supporters might be vocal enough to cause Notre Dame to consider joining a 1A conference, rather than risk losing the bragging rights when trying to recruit students and athletes to their school.