Notre Dame AD Criticizes ACC Management for Irreparable Hurt

Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua unloaded on the ACC within the wake of Sunday’s School Soccer Playoff snub, saying the convention that homes virtually each Combating Irish sports activities crew has triggered “everlasting harm” to the connection.

Bevacqua informed “The Dan Patrick Present” on Monday that he has nice respect for Miami, Alabama and all of the groups that acknowledged their instances for CFP inclusion and in the end had been included within the discipline of 12. However Bevacqua is upset with how the ACC pushed for Miami over Notre Dame main as much as the picks.

“We had been mystified by the actions of the convention to assault their greatest, actually, associate in soccer and a member of their convention in 24 of our different sports activities,” Bevacqua informed Patrick. “… They’ve definitely carried out everlasting harm to the connection between the convention and Notre Dame.”

ACC commissioner Jim Phillips mentioned in an announcement Monday that the convention stands behind its efforts “to help and advocate for all 17 of our football-playing member establishments.”

Final month, the ACC’s official account on X, amongst comparisons with different colleges, posted a side-by-side comparability of Miami and Notre Dame, accompanied by the textual content, “No hypotheticals, simply information.” Miami beat Notre Dame 27-24 within the season opener, a recreation the Hurricanes by no means trailed, and completed with an equivalent 10-2 file.

No hypotheticals, simply information.

Crew A ✅ https://t.co/2SshUcSWhK pic.twitter.com/eyHadwcQYt

— ACC Soccer (@ACCFootball) November 11, 2025

ACC Community, whose programming is not managed by the convention, additionally replayed the Miami-Notre Dame recreation greater than a dozen occasions Thursday and Friday, heading into championship weekend, regardless of Miami not collaborating within the league’s title recreation. Duke, which gained the ACC however had 5 regular-season losses, didn’t make the CFP.

The Hurricanes earned the No. 10 seed and can play at No. 7 Texas A&M within the first spherical of the CFP. Notre Dame introduced Sunday that it will decline a bowl invitation and finish its season, moderately than settle for the ACC’s tie-in to the Pop-Tarts Bowl.

Aside from soccer, which is an FBS impartial, and males’s hockey, an affiliate member of the Huge Ten, Notre Dame has all of its different varsity sports activities within the ACC. Since 2014, Notre Dame and the ACC have a scheduling partnership through which the Irish play at the very least 5 ACC opponents per season.

“We did not recognize the truth that we had been singled out repeatedly and in comparison with Miami. Not by Miami; Miami has each proper to do this,” Bevacqua mentioned. “But it surely raised loads of eyebrows right here that the convention was taking photographs at us.”

Phillips on Monday mentioned in his assertion that Notre Dame is “an extremely valued member” of the ACC and there may be “respect and appreciation” for the Irish.

“With that mentioned, in the case of soccer, we’ve a accountability to help and advocate for all 17 of our football-playing member establishments, and I stand behind our convention efforts to just do that main as much as the School Soccer Playoff Committee picks on Sunday,” Philips mentioned. “At no time was it recommended by the ACC that Notre Dame was not a worthy candidate for inclusion within the discipline. We’re thrilled for the College of Miami whereas additionally understanding and appreciating the numerous disappointment of the Notre Dame gamers, coaches and program.”

Bevacqua was requested by Patrick whether or not Notre Dame would reevaluate its relationship with the ACC.

“I’d simply say it has been strained,” Bevacqua mentioned. “You by no means say irreparable, but it surely’s opened our eyes and it is caught our consideration.”

Bevacqua reiterated Notre Dame’s frustrations with the CFP choice course of, together with the weekly rankings through which the Irish had been within the discipline till Sunday. After an 0-2 begin, Notre Dame gained its remaining 10 video games, all by 10 factors or extra.

“We’re confused, we’re unhappy and we’re annoyed,” Bevacqua informed Patrick.

“… If we had assembled as a crew on Sunday and rankings hadn’t informed us for the earlier weeks, ‘We’re in, we’re in, we’re in. Handle enterprise, deal with enterprise’ … Hey, I get it. However these rankings reveals, like, what is the level? Why ship these indicators and get the hopes [up] of those groups, these coaches, these youngsters on the crew, that imagine they’re doing every little thing obligatory. It simply felt, in that room, a collective sense of the rug being taken out from below us, with none rationalization.”

Bevacqua mentioned Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman talked to the crew’s captains after the CFP snub about different bowl alternatives. The captains informed Freeman they knew numerous gamers with NFL draft potential would decide out and did not wish to play a recreation with a dramatically completely different roster.

“It simply would not be the identical,” Bevacqua mentioned.

Bevacqua will tackle reporters at a information convention at midday ET on Tuesday.