ACC Commissioner Addresses Notre Dame’s Concerns
ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips adopted a measured approach in response to Notre Dame’s complaints regarding its exclusion from the College Football Playoff.
Notre Dame’s athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, appeared on various sports talk shows on Monday, including “The Dan Patrick Show,” where he argued that the ACC had inflicted “permanent damage” on the relationship with the university.
Bevacqua challenged the notion that the conference and its media channels had promoted Miami’s candidacy for the playoffs while criticizing Notre Dame.
Interestingly, Notre Dame competes in 24 other sports within the ACC, and Phillips attempted to ease tensions in light of Bevacqua’s remarks. “The University of Notre Dame is an invaluable member of the ACC, and I have great respect and gratitude for the entire university,” he stated. He went on to explain that the conference has a duty to support all of its 17 football members, which, of course, includes advocating for Miami leading up to the playoff selections.
“The ACC has never suggested that Notre Dame isn’t a deserving candidate for the playoffs. While we are thrilled for the University of Miami, we also understand and recognize the disappointment felt by Notre Dame’s players, coaches, and the program as a whole.”
Nonetheless, the ACC recently shared multiple comments on social media comparing Notre Dame to Miami before ultimately backing Miami, a full conference member, and rebroadcasted their earlier matchup, which Miami won, multiple times throughout the year.
It’s a bit ambiguous how much this impacted the selection committee’s choices, but it certainly frustrated Notre Dame’s administration.
Bevacqua clarified that his issue was not with Miami being selected but rather with the conference itself. “We were taken aback by the repeated comparisons to Miami,” he said. “It isn’t about Miami; they have every right. What’s concerning is the conference’s stance against us, which has raised many eyebrows. This isn’t something we accept or plan to tolerate moving forward, even if others might disagree.”
