Notre Dame and the ACC: Where Do They Currently Stand?
- Noah Wehby
- May 13
- 3 min read
The tension between Notre Dame and the ACC continues to fester as it appears the two parties' relationship is nowhere close to being repaired.
After a messy winter, the discussions surrounding Notre Dame and its ACC affiliation seemed to have quieted down. In the midst of those discussions, Notre Dame fans were even calling for Notre Dame to consider backing out of the deal with the ACC. Instead, Notre Dame AD Pete Bevacqua decided to dampen these talks, reinforcing the idea that Notre Dame and the ACC were in a good place.
Although Notre Dame may still be happy with their current arrangements, it does appear that the ACC and the people inside of it may have a different perspective. On3's Brett McMurphy recently released a story regarding the ACC's feelings towards Notre Dame, which has only refueled the fire that took over the college football media cycle for a week just a few months ago.
In that piece published by On3, a source said when talking about Notre Dame, "is the guy that walks in the house, opens the fridge, eats all the food, then (screws) the wife, kicks the dog, doesn't pay the mortgage and walks out without any skin in the game."
Also featured in the article was a quote from an ACC AD that read, "there's a widespread perception that we're all getting used and we're sick of it."
Looking at this from the ACC side of things, they are likely upset due to Notre Dame's deal that allows them to play five ACC teams a year, while still being able to keep their independent schedule. To many, this seems like Notre Dame is getting the best of both worlds without having to risk playing in a conference championship game or playing a full conference schedule. Many people in the ACC may also not be happy with Notre Dame calling out the conference so publicly following the CFP selection show. This most likely rubbed a lot of people in the ACC the wrong way.
From the Notre Dame perspective, it seems like the ACC deal benefits the ACC as much as it has benefited Notre Dame. Firstly, Notre Dame Football may not be in the ACC, but almost every sport Notre Dame offers is a part of the ACC. That means Notre Dame has a vested interest in the ACC and its future. To add to that, Notre Dame often gives those other sports a very competitive team in the ACC, like Lacrosse and Soccer. Secondly, from a money perspective, every other ACC school benefits from playing against Notre Dame in football. Going back to Bevacqua's point from a press conference following the 2025 season, he stated that when Notre Dame has visited an ACC school since 2014, they have sold out 90% of the time. That is a 67% increase from any other ACC game during that same time. So, while Notre Dame does benefit from the ACC deal, every other ACC school benefits from it too. Notre Dame Football brings in a crowd to every school it visits, which only makes more money for that school.
While it is more than likely that Notre Dame will sit tight in the ACC deal for the upcoming future, quotes like the ones given to On3's McMurphy only add to the tension that has grown between the two parties. Notre Dame is heading into another season where the ACC has lacked the ability to give Notre Dame quality opponents, frustrating many Irish fans. Is it time for Notre Dame to reconsider the deal, and is there any conference that would be willing to strike a similar deal?
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If ND were to leave the ACC, what is the buyout price?