Notre Dame to move from Big East to ACC

[valpopal]

Word this morning is that Notre Dame will be exiting the Big East and moving to the ACC in all sports except football and hockey.

[valpopal]

The ACC now has released an official announcement:

GREENSBORO, N.C. - The Atlantic Coast Conference Council of Presidents has unanimously voted to accept the University of Notre Dame as a new member. The Irish will compete as full members in all conference sponsored sports with the exception of football which will play five games annually against league programs.

"We are committed to keeping the Atlantic Coast Conference a vibrant and competitive league dedicated to ensuring the appropriate balance of academics, athletics and integrity," said the ACC Council of Presidents in a joint statement. "The addition of Notre Dame further strengthens the rich tradition and culture of the ACC as well as allowing for future academic collaboration and we enthusiastically welcome them into the league."

"The ACC was founded on the cornerstones of balancing academics, athletics and integrity," said Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner John Swofford. "Our partnership with Notre Dame only strengthens this long-standing commitment. Notre Dame enhances the league's unique blend of public and private institutions that are international in scope. The collective alumni and fan bases cover the entire country with exceptionally strong roots up and down the Atlantic Coast. This is a terrific milestone in the evolution of the ACC and showcases tremendous solidarity and vision by our Council of Presidents."

"The ACC is composed of some of the most highly respected universities in the country, and we at Notre Dame look forward to joining them," said Notre Dame President, Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C. "With a mix of institutions - many of which are also private, similar to Notre Dame in size, and committed to excellence in research and undergraduate education - the ACC is an exceptionally good fit for us academically, as well as athletically."

"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. "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."

With the addition of Notre Dame, the ACC's future membership includes 11 institutions ranked among the top 58 in the 2013 U.S. News & World Report survey of "America's Best Colleges", more than any other conference also competing at the highest level athletically.

In addition to extending an invitation to Notre Dame, the Council of Presidents voted to increase the conference exit fees to three times the annual operating budget. Currently this would equate to an exit fee of over $50 million.

[VULB#62]

Whoa.  That's big.  The lights in the Big East offices are getting dimmer and dimmer.

[setshot]

The last time I saw ND play an ACC team was in Atlanta against Ga.Tech. Granted it was football (which ND won't play in the ACC),but the highlight of the game (which Tech won) was IMO,the Tech fans throwing mackerals at the ND players during halftime of the game. Digusting yes,but typical of the general populist feelings toward ND at that time. Pepper Rogers was the coach at Tech and I believe Devine was at ND. To the point: should something like this happer at "Cameron" there will be hell to pay. Anyhow,beat ND!

[VULB#62]

Granted it was football (which ND won't play in the ACC),

Technically that's true, but this is from the ASP:

"Notre Dame is leaving the Big East for the Atlantic Coast Conference in all sports but football.  The school said Wednesday that it will play five football games annually against the league's programs, facing each ACC member at least once every three years."

The other 6 games:  USC, Michigan, Purdue, Michigan State, Navy and..........?

This from USAToday:

"It also plays regularly against Stanford, assuring at least one game on the West Coast each season.
The school has started a national game that rotates to an independent site. This year, the Irish play Miami (Fla.) at Soldier Field in Chicago. They have future games line up against Arizona State in Cowboys Stadium and Army in Orlando."

[covufan]

Granted it was football (which ND won't play in the ACC),

Technically that's true, but this is from the ASP:

"Notre Dame is leaving the Big East for the Atlantic Coast Conference in all sports but football.  The school said Wednesday that it will play five football games annually against the league's programs, facing each ACC member at least once every three years."

The other 6 games:  USC, Michigan, Purdue, Michigan State, Navy and..........?

This from USAToday:

"It also plays regularly against Stanford, assuring at least one game on the West Coast each season.
The school has started a national game that rotates to an independent site. This year, the Irish play Miami (Fla.) at Soldier Field in Chicago. They have future games line up against Arizona State in Cowboys Stadium and Army in Orlando."

Many of the "National" games, have really been home games for ND, of course on the ND Broadcasting Channel. 

[VULB#62]

Many of the "National" games, have really been home games for ND, of course on the ND Broadcasting Channel.

And... not to slight the ND subway alumni, but......... Are there subways in DFW, Palo Alto?

Anyway........... RE:  Playing on the west coast .........  If only we could parlay FB games w/ USD into attractive recruiting forays on the left coast we could really build a national Lutheran University kick-butt athletic program.  But first, we have to be competitive on the gridiron with USD.  Damn, Harbaugh built an incredible foundation there and because he left for Stanford and then the 49ers, that foundation is still alive -- "come and enroll in the school that Harbaugh coached at".  Dang!

But that makes me think (very dangerous).  I don't know if it is part of a formal strategic plan versus an idea in a few heads, but VU teams have got to more regularly hit the 4 major points of the US compass.  We go south, we go to the southwest, we go to California every other year for FB and just went there for MSO, but we need to go mid Atlantic, New England, Northern MW, Rocky Mountains, wherever........  on a regualar basis.  All that being said, I think, given the obvious 'restrictions,'  Mark is working hard at pulling  the university into an even broader national profile beyond men's BB.  But that status will probably be achieved long after I am gone.  In whatever form I am in at the time, I can't wait to see us be the Lutheran BYU/ND/Baylor/Liberty/Yeshiva.

[valpotx]

No subways in DFW.  We have a ton of highways, many of which are being expanded at the moment.  One portion of one major highway will be a massive 16 total lanes.  Public transportation is getting better with some Dart rails being put in to connect the cities more, as well as more bus options