Update: This is official.
Notre Dame to join ACC in 2013-2014, officially
The Big East has announced that Notre Dame’s non-football teams will depart and play in the ACC starting next year.
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish non-football teams will play in the ACC starting next year, Sports Illustrated reported on Monday night. Many people have expected Notre Dame to announce something of the sorts considering the departure of the Catholic 7 from the Big East at the end of the year.
According to Sports Illustrated, the Big East presidents will vote on the issue on Tuesday morning and make an announcement following the end of the conference call.
Notre Dame will be the western-most team joining the ACC, which will swell the ranks of the ACC to 15 basketball schools next year, including the entrances of Syracuse and Pittsburgh.
As Sports Illustrated writes, Notre Dame’s exit is similar to the Catholic 7 departure and means the Notre Dame will not have to pay the conference an exit fee.
Because Notre Dame East left the Big East under a Mutual Commitment Agreement -- the same method as the Catholic Seven -- they were not subject to a traditional exit fee if they’d stayed in the league for 27 months. Notre Dame’s fee will essentially end up being forgoing any claims to the estimated $70 million the Big East has stashed away in exit and entry fees. (That number is liquid due to litigation and other factors.)
Notre Dame coach Mike Brey has expected the Fighting Irish to join the ACC, but hasn’t made any firm statements recently, telling the Chicago Tribune that the department was expecting the announcement sooner than later.
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