Notre Dame joining ACC

[steelerdude15]

Notre Dame joining ACC

Notre Dame will join the Atlantic Coast Conference as a full member with the exception of football, but will play five football games annually against ACC teams.

"We have monitored the changing conference landscape for many months and have concluded that moving to the ACC is the best course of action for us," said Jack Swarbrick, Notre Dame vice president and director of athletics, in a statement released by the conference. "We are able to maintain our historic independence in football, join in the ACC's non-BCS bowl package, and provide a new and extremely competitive home for our other sports."

The Irish will join the ACC as soon as it can exit the Big East. The Big East currently requires members to pay $5 million and to provide 27 months' notice to exit, although West Virginia, Pittsburgh and Syracuse were able to leave earlier by paying a higher exit fee.

Notre Dame basketball coach Mike Brey texted ESPN.com's Andy Katz, saying "we're going," and adding that while no timetable has been established for the move, he is excited about the challenge.

Read More: http://espn.go.com/college-sports/st...all-hockey-acc

[venom]

Who's better than them ? Hopefully they dont lose those games vs USC and Michigan

[steeldevil]

It's about time. As a acc, duke, and notre dame fan this is great news for me.

[X-Terminator]

The ACC is going to be the best basketball conference in the country, hands down. Lots of powerhouses there. I just wish WVU could have gone to the ACC...sucks that the Backyard Brawl is no more. I am also a Pitt fan, though, so I can't wait until they officially join the ACC.

[oneforthetoe]

This works out well for both parties. I'm not a ND fan, but their inclusion definitely helps the prestige of the ACC. Even though they are not officially a member of the football conference, it should mean more exposure for a pretty weak football league. I just hope ND doesn't get an ACC tie-in bowl bid, if the league ever goes that route, and if ND wins a certain number of games as happened in the Big East. I didn't think that was fair.

As for having to play 5 games against ACC opponents, that should not require that much change for ND. Pitt and ND play most years and so do ND and BC, so they just have to add three games.