REPORT: Notre Dame To Join ACC For The 2020 Season

Transcript

00:00 with many college football conferences announcing they will play conference-only schedules this fall,

00:05 that's left many wondering, "What's up with Notre Dame?"

00:08 For more on that, I'm joined by Brian Driscoll of Irish Breakdown,

00:11 and Brian, the latest report from Brett McMurphy of Stadium says that

00:16 Notre Dame will play in the ACC this coming season?

00:18 Yeah, that's actually been being floated for the last couple weeks.

00:22 When this whole schedule stuff first started,

00:24 John Swofford, the commissioner of the ACC, said that they would do whatever they needed to do

00:28 to work with Notre Dame to make sure they get a schedule,

00:30 whether that be part independent and part ACC,

00:34 or what the most reports we're hearing are, that that would be for at least one season

00:38 that would make Notre Dame a member of the conference.

00:41 And I've talked to more sources about that, and I've got confirmation,

00:44 including the possibility that Notre Dame would join the Coastal Division

00:48 and be eligible to play in the ACC title game this season.

00:51 Is this an indication of the popularity and the draw of Notre Dame?

00:54 Oh, absolutely.

00:56 I mean, when you look at the ACC trying to gain credibility as a football league,

01:00 which is where the money comes from,

01:01 and you look at the tens of million dollars behind the other big leagues that they are,

01:06 like the ACC and the Big Ten, adding Notre Dame is tremendous credibility for them.

01:10 And when you look at Notre Dame from a TV viewership standpoint,

01:13 Notre Dame drew more TV viewers last year than anyone in the conference,

01:17 including Clemson, when you look at the regular season,

01:19 and that includes a home schedule that had New Mexico and Bowling Green on the docket.

01:23 So Notre Dame is still a huge draw, and Notre Dame is a type of program

01:28 that would add instant credibility to the ACC beyond Clemson,

01:31 then as Miami and Florida State can hopefully rise back up,

01:35 that would get the ACC near the top of those programs

01:37 when it comes to being dominant in football.

01:39 And we still don't have all the answers when it comes to a college football season,

01:42 but perhaps the answer for Notre Dame will be the ACC.

01:46 Brian, appreciate your time.

01:47 [ Silence ]