Jim Phillips on Notre Dame Football joining the ACC: "They value their independence"

Phillips discussed Notre Dame at the 2023 ACC Media Days

The 2023 ACC Media Days kicked off today and that means that football season is right around the corner. 

To open the day, ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips addressed the media and took questions, and one of those questions concerned Notre Dame joining the conference in football. Conference realignment is one of the hot topics around college football today and while the Fighting Irish are in the ACC in nearly every sport, they are not in the conference for football. 

Today, Phillips was asked about the prospect of adding Notre Dame Football to the ACC and here is what he had to say: 

"We've had a lot of conversations, let me put it bluntly, with Notre Dame, and they've been very clear. They value their independence, and I think they feel strongly that that will continue well into the future. If they ever have the desire of joining the conference, they know that we would welcome them with open arms, but I think -- I can't speak for Jack right now and Pete in the future or Father John, but I think it's been a healthy relationship both ways for the ACC and for Notre Dame. Their sports, other than football, I think have thrived in the ACC. I think they really enjoy the academic prowess that the ACC brings as well, but they've been pretty clear about their desire to stay independent. So I don't see that changing any time soon."

ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips addressed the media today / Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

While anything can change in the future, it would seem that Phillips is closing the door on Notre Dame joining the ACC anytime soon, and on the Notre Dame side of things, that is understandable. The Fighting Irish are one of the biggest brands in college football and have their own TV deal with NBC. 

The Fighting Irish receive somewhere in the mid-$30 million range for overall rights fees: $22 million per year from their NBC football-only contract, as well as about $11 million annually from the ACC, in which the Irish compete for all other sports (via Front Office Sports).  

The ACC is in an unfavorable situation due to the TV deal with ESPN and the growing revenue gap with the SEC and the Big Ten. The future of the conference is going to be speculated on for the foreseeable future. 

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