So ND is officially a member of the ACC this year and is eligible to compete in the ACC Championship game. There will be no “divisions” in the ACC this year and it will operate like the Big 12 where the top 2 teams will play each other in the championship game. 
https://twitter.com/theACC/status/1288572119782219776?s=20

It’s about damn time is basically all I have to say. I’m so glad that those who have been riding on their high horses up in South Bend have finally made their way to 20th century and joined a conference. I know they are still very far away from catching up to college football in the 21st century, but hey it’s a step in the right direction. All I ask is that it’s permanent. 

It only took a world wide pandemic to make it happen.

 

My next question, would the ACC have been their choice the whole time if they could've chose any conference right now?

26 minutes ago, sportsfan41 said:

It only took a world wide pandemic to make it happen.

 

My next question, would the ACC have been their choice the whole time if they could've chose any conference right now?

I would think so with every other sport already in the ACC. My biggest hope is that maybe some conference realignment can take place after this though. We all know where ND belongs and thats the Big 10. I know both parties (ND and the Big 10) have been at fault at different times. But it’s well beyond time. Put aside the egos and do what’s right for the sport. 

38 minutes ago, GrantNKY said:

I would think so with every other sport already in the ACC. My biggest hope is that maybe some conference realignment can take place after this though. We all know where ND belongs and thats the Big 10. I know both parties (ND and the Big 10) have been at fault at different times. But it’s well beyond time. Put aside the egos and do what’s right for the sport. 

I think that your answer is part of my reason for the question.  Obviously the easy choice is the ACC, as things are.  I'm just not sure if it's Notre Dame's first choice if they could choose ANY conference without any strings attached.  A Big 10 conference with Penn State, tOSU, Michigan and Notre Dame would be fun to watch.  

2 hours ago, sportsfan41 said:

I think that your answer is part of my reason for the question.  Obviously the easy choice is the ACC, as things are.  I'm just not sure if it's Notre Dame's first choice if they could choose ANY conference without any strings attached.  A Big 10 conference with Penn State, tOSU, Michigan and Notre Dame would be fun to watch.  

Exactly. It would be fun to watch and great for all parties involved. The only standing thing in the way of this is ND footballs contract with NBC. Every conference besides the Big 12 has a network. Nobody is willing to let a school in with their own tv network competing against the conference. This is why the Big 12 doesn’t have a network because of the Longhorn Network. Texas doesn’t want that to go away but the Big 12 can’t exactly tell Texas to take a hike. Back to the original point, ND joining the Big 10 would be awesome. Split up the traditional powers. Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Nebraska in the West. Ohio State, Penn State, and Michigan in the East. It would help solve some of the complaints that the divisions aren’t balanced enough. The East would still be better but at least the West won’t come down to just Wisconsin and some other random team in the west who decides to have a good year. 

Notre Dame football is contractually obligated to join the ACC, if they decide to leave independent status through 2036.  The ACC owns ND’s conference rights until then.

I used to describe myself as Nortre Dame fan. I still root for them, but don't really keep up with them all that much.

But it has always cracked me up how much Notre Dame not being in a conference bothers people. The reality is Notre Dame was decades ahead of other teams/conferences in admitting it was all about the money.

1 hour ago, bugatti said:

I used to describe myself as Nortre Dame fan. I still root for them, but don't really keep up with them all that much.

But it has always cracked me up how much Notre Dame not being in a conference bothers people. The reality is Notre Dame was decades ahead of other teams/conferences in admitting it was all about the money.

The reality is yes Notre Dame was decades ahead of everyone else with the TV money. The problem is they have now been passed up by the teams that are in conferences. I think a huge part of why ND is not the dominant force they once were is because they have failed to adapt to the sport. There is no excuse for ND to not have won a title since 1988. Their arrogance has been their downfall. 

9 minutes ago, GrantNKY said:

The reality is yes Notre Dame was decades ahead of everyone else with the TV money. The problem is they have now been passed up by the teams that are in conferences. I think a huge part of why ND is not the dominant force they once were is because they have failed to adapt to the sport. There is no excuse for ND to not have won a title since 1988. Their arrogance has been their downfall. 

Maybe? No doubt they have taken a step back, but I think it is more of an organizational issue with their hires. Lou Holtz had the Irish as a top program through his tenure, they hired Bob Davie the latter part of the 90s and the program changed for the worse overnight. George O'Leary has his fiasco and they scramble to hire Ty Willingham and it just never looked right as he was in way over his head. Charlie Weis could draw up offensive plays, but he treated the job as an offensive coordinator job and that was it. Strength and conditioning diminished, as did the level of recruiting. Brian Kelly is competent, but I can't stand the guy. By the early 2000s Notre Dame became the "it would be great to coach there, but it is an unwinnable situation" job because of the expectations. 

All that said, Notre Dame has still found their way through a series of questionable hires to make some BCS bowls, appear in a national title game, and make the college football playoffs. Aside from those that have brought home the bacon, no other program can lay claim to that (well, maybe Georgia). Them not being in a conference is not why they haven't gotten over the "good to great program" hump, it is deeper than that.

3 hours ago, bugatti said:

Maybe? No doubt they have taken a step back, but I think it is more of an organizational issue with their hires. Lou Holtz had the Irish as a top program through his tenure, they hired Bob Davie the latter part of the 90s and the program changed for the worse overnight. George O'Leary has his fiasco and they scramble to hire Ty Willingham and it just never looked right as he was in way over his head. Charlie Weis could draw up offensive plays, but he treated the job as an offensive coordinator job and that was it. Strength and conditioning diminished, as did the level of recruiting. Brian Kelly is competent, but I can't stand the guy. By the early 2000s Notre Dame became the "it would be great to coach there, but it is an unwinnable situation" job because of the expectations. 

All that said, Notre Dame has still found their way through a series of questionable hires to make some BCS bowls, appear in a national title game, and make the college football playoffs. Aside from those that have brought home the bacon, no other program can lay claim to that (well, maybe Georgia). Them not being in a conference is not why they haven't gotten over the "good to great program" hump, it is deeper than that.

Agree to disagree. 

I'm not sure that joining a conference is all Notre Dame needs to claim another national championship.  I hasn't worked for Penn St.  Over the last 15 years or so I believe that only 3 schools not in the SEC have been able to win a national championship.  Notre Dame is 33-6 over the last three years.  I don't think very many schools can best that.  They will be fine whether they join the ACC full time or not.  

10 hours ago, bugatti said:

Maybe? No doubt they have taken a step back, but I think it is more of an organizational issue with their hires. Lou Holtz had the Irish as a top program through his tenure, they hired Bob Davie the latter part of the 90s and the program changed for the worse overnight. George O'Leary has his fiasco and they scramble to hire Ty Willingham and it just never looked right as he was in way over his head. Charlie Weis could draw up offensive plays, but he treated the job as an offensive coordinator job and that was it. Strength and conditioning diminished, as did the level of recruiting. Brian Kelly is competent, but I can't stand the guy. By the early 2000s Notre Dame became the "it would be great to coach there, but it is an unwinnable situation" job because of the expectations. 

All that said, Notre Dame has still found their way through a series of questionable hires to make some BCS bowls, appear in a national title game, and make the college football playoffs. Aside from those that have brought home the bacon, no other program can lay claim to that (well, maybe Georgia). Them not being in a conference is not why they haven't gotten over the "good to great program" hump, it is deeper than that.

Completely agree, them not being in a conference has nothing to do with not winning a title since 1988. 
 

Being in a conference wasn’t going to make their recruiting get better, or change the requirements to get in to Notre Dame. Joining a conference wasn’t going to make their facilities better. They would make less money in a conference. 
 

You were completely right, poor coaching hires after Lou Holtz really hurt, and set them back. Brian Kelly has done a great job actually building it back up. When he does one day step down, it once again will be an attractive job. 
 

Being in a conference is not why USC became great again in the 2000s. It was because they hired a guy who was a great coach in Pete Carroll who got them going again. Being in the SEC is not what made Bama become Bama again. They were not doing much at all anymore, until they hired Saban. 
 

At the end of the day getting the coach right, is the biggest thing. Brian Kelly has gotten them to the door, but it might take someone else to kick it in.