New Big East commissioner Mike Aresco's job just got significantly more challenging with the news that Notre Dame has agreed to leave the Big East for the Atlantic Coast Conference.
The biggest surprise isn't that Notre Dame made the jump to the ACC but the Fighting Irish did it while maintaining its status as an independent in football (although Notre Dame did agree to play five games annually against ACC teams). The feeling was that when Notre Dame joined the ACC in all sports, a team (likely either UConn or Rutgers) would be added. Now that Notre Dame is not joining in football it remains to be seen if there will be a push to add another team to the ACC.
Here is the release from the ACC:
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.
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