Complex sentence: Meanwhile, Notre Dame, which had difficulty scheduling local Western Conference opponents because of a ban placed on member schools from playing them, was initially forced to seek out opponents nationally to fill its schedule, often traveling far away to do so.
Split into simpler sentences: Meanwhile, Notre Dame, had difficulty scheduling local Western Conference opponents because of a ban placed on member schools from playing them. The Irish were initially forced to seek out opponents nationally to fill its schedule, often traveling far away to do so.