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Notre Dame will not compete in the College Football Playoff this postseason. They were replaced by Miami on selection day.
The Fighting Irish now have a $55 million question to answer. Will they choose to stay put as a partial member in the ACC?
The school’s athletic director recently spoke on a “permanently damaged” relationship between the two sides.
“We were mystified by the actions of the conference… They have certainly done permanent damage to the relationship between the conference and Notre Dame.”
– Notre Dame AD Pete Bevacqua on their relationship with the ACC. pic.twitter.com/uvpWqrU8PM
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) December 8, 2025
“We were mystified by the actions of the conference,” said Pete Bevacqua on the Dan Patrick Show this Monday. “They have certainly done permanent damage to the relationship between the conference and Notre Dame.”
ACC football campaigned against Notre Dame.
It was forced to do so thanks to a controversial tiebreaker system that awarded 7-5 Duke a conference championship spot over the 10-2 Hurricanes.
Other leagues, like the American, use College Football Playoff rankings as a tiebreaker when head-to-head doesn’t apply. The ACC does not.
Duke got in because of its opponents’ winning percentage. Miami did not have a shot at earning an automatic bid.
The Blue Devils’ title win over Virginia only muddied the CFP selection waters, creating a real possibility that the conference would be left out of the playoff altogether.
The Fighting Irish, meanwhile, are members of the ACC in other sports. They remain an independent in football.
That made things a bit awkward with Notre Dame and Miami vying for one of the last open at-large CFP bids.
Both teams had identical 10-2 records. The Hurricanes won a head-to-head matchup on the field. The Irish held a higher CFP ranking at season’s end.
There was a case to be made for both sides. Notre Dame lost two games to national title contenders by a combined four points. Both came in September. It’s won every game since.
Miami had worse losses. It also had better wins, one of which came directly over the Fighting Irish. Head-to-head has to mean something when resumes are so similar.
The College Football Playoff committee had a difficult choice to make on Selection Sunday. It was one that would have major financial impacts.
Participants in the 12-team event receive a $4 million payout. Given conference ties, the ACC wanted (needed) Miami in. As a result, it lobbied against its partial member.
That included airing the Miami vs. Notre Dame game on repeat via the ACC Network earlier this month. It also involved weekly social media posts to remind followers of resumes and that head-to-head win.
One of these is not like the others… 🤔 pic.twitter.com/vFNs5OyXUH
— ACC Football (@ACCFootball) December 7, 2025
The playoff push ultimately worked. Miami got in. Notre Dame was left out. The Hurricanes will have a chance to compete for a national title.
The Irish did not appreciate the negative campaigning. They felt betrayed by a business partner. Will the school retaliate?
Will Notre Dame leave the ACC?
After being snubbed of a playoff spot by the CFP, the team opted out of a bowl game. It is sticking it to ESPN with a refusal to play.
Most bowl games air on the network. The Irish will not boost viewership numbers.
Notre Dame football’s TV relationship is with NBC. The school has an unrivaled deal with the network. It is the reason they can choose not to join a league in a full-time capacity.
With that said, the Fighting Irish do have a contract with the ACC and ESPN in other sports. They are paid about 1/3 of the amount in annual TV revenue compared to full-time conference members.
The partial membership also means a lower exit fee should Notre Dame choose to leave the ACC. At the time of this writing, the buyout is $165 million for current members.
The Irish would owe 1/3 of this number based on that previously mentioned revenue payout. That puts the number around $55 million.
Choosing to leave would have major impacts on both sides. Notre Dame would return to independence in other sports. It would hope to find a conference willing to allow part-time membership.
It would also mean finding five (or more) new football opponents each year. The Irish have an agreement to face ACC foes annually.
For the league, it would mean losing one of its biggest brands. It would also ruin any future pursuits of Notre Dame in football should they ever choose to ditch independence.
Will the Fighting Irish leave the ACC? The school has a decision to make on its future.