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Notre Dame AD responds to rumor of Irish potentially joining ACC as full member
By Kevin Duffey
Published:
It’s an annual question of debate: Will — or should — Notre Dame join a conference as a full member?
Obviously, that conference would be the ACC, as the Irish are members in every sport not named football currently. FOX Sports’ Tim Brando got things stirred up on Monday, saying that Notre Dame is having “conversations” about joining the conference full time, but the university’s AD Jack Swarbrick squashed those rumors rather quickly on Tuesday.
Notre Dame AD Jack Swarbrick on rumors of informal talks of football joining the ACC full-time: “Absolutely not true.” (1/2)
— Matt Murschel (@osmattmurschel) May 16, 2017
Swarbrick also added, “We love the ACC but we love our relationship the way it is and there hasn’t been any discussion.”
The ACC is holding its annual spring meetings in Amelia Island, Florida, this week, and with Brando’s report, it was logical that the Irish would address their immediate future with the league. After all, it is — as Steve Spurrier likes to put it — “talking season.”
It would make sense for Notre Dame to join the ACC full-time. The ACC Network is projected to launch in 2019, and the conference is really starting to move up the conference power rankings. The Irish would also make more money than they’re making with the exclusive NBC Sports deal in the ACC, too.
Currently, Notre Dame plays four ACC games per year, and leaving its tradition of playing annual rivals behind — and having full control over its schedule — doesn’t look it’s going to happen anytime soon unfortunately.
A graduate of the University of Florida and founder of Saturday Down South, Kevin is a college football enthusiast.
