Here’s what the ACC’s extended football agreement with Notre Dame means
Notre Dame will continue to get the best of both worlds from the ACC through at least 2037.
The conference announced an extension of its football agreement with the Fighting Irish on Thursday. Notre Dame, a member of the ACC in all sports but football, will play five ACC teams every year from 2026 through ’37.
Notre Dame gets to retain its football independence while the ACC’s television contract gets a boost from the home dates its teams have with the Irish (All Notre Dame’s home games are still on NBC).
Notre Dame also gets to participate in the ACC’s bowl tie-ins and access to its annual spotlight national game on Labor Day.
The ACC and Notre Dame began their relationship in 2014 and the Irish have played an average of five ACC teams per season since and have a 9-6 record in those games.
As long as Notre Dame is an independent, there will be speculation about its football future, but the Indiana Catholic school has been steadfast about not joining a conference full-time.
It is contractually obligated to join the ACC if it does decide to give up its independence.
Notre Dame is one of four remaining national independents and is easily the highest profile. That could potentially change depending on the College Football Playoff landscape, and access to it. The Irish, 4-8 a year ago, were not a factor in the national race for the four-team playoff and have played for the national title only once (in 2012) since 1988.
If a conference championship were to become a part of the criteria to make the playoff, Notre Dame would have little choice but to join the ACC. In three years of the CFP, only one team (Ohio State in 2016) has made the field without winning its conference title.
Notre Dame lost to both Duke and N.C. State last season and is 2-2 against ACC teams from North Carolina since the agreement began.
Notre Dame is scheduled to return to North Carolina this season at UNC, and it hosts Wake Forest and N.C. State. Notre Dame will next play in the Tar Heel state in 2018 (at Wake) and 2019 (at Duke).
The schedule agreement released on Thursday adds four future dates each with UNC, Duke, N.C. State and Wake through the ’37 season.
Joe Giglio: 919-829-8938, @jwgiglio
Notre Dame vs. the ACC
Notre Dame is 9-6 against ACC foes since it started its football scheduling agreement with the conference in 2014. The Irish and the ACC agreed to 60 more games on Thursday. (Notes: *-home team, n-neutral site, x-Labor Day)
==2014==
n-Notre Dame 31, Syracuse 15
Notre Dame* 50, North Carolina 43
Florida State* 31, Notre Dame 27
Louisville 31, Notre Dame* 28
==2015==
Notre Dame 34, Virginia* 27
Notre Dame* 30, Georgia Tech 22
Clemson* 24, Notre Dame 22
Notre Dame 42, Pitt* 30
Notre Dame* 28, Wake Forest 7
n-Notre Dame 19, Boston College 16
==2016==
Duke 38, Notre Dame* 35
n-Notre Dame 50, Syracuse 33
N.C. State* 10, Notre Dame 3
Notre Dame* 30, Miami 27
Virginia Tech 34, Notre Dame* 31
==2017==
Notre Dame at Boston College, 9/16
Notre Dame at North Carolina, 10/7
NC State at Notre Dame, 10/28
Wake Forest at Notre Dame, 11/04
Notre Dame at Miami, 11/11
==2018==
Notre Dame at Wake Forest, 9/22
Notre Dame at Virginia Tech, 10/6
Pittsburgh at Notre Dame, 10/13
Florida State at Notre Dame, 11/10
Syracuse at Notre Dame, 11/17
==2019==
x-Notre Dame at Louisville, 9/2
Virginia at Notre Dame, 9/28
Virginia Tech at Notre Dame, 11/2
Notre Dame at Duke, 11/9
Boston College at Notre Dame, 11/23
==2020==
Notre Dame at Wake Forest
Notre Dame at Pittsburgh
Duke at Notre Dame
Clemson at Notre Dame
Louisville at Notre Dame
==2021==
x-Notre Dame at Florida State, 9/6
Notre Dame at Virginia Tech
North Carolina at Notre Dame
Notre Dame at Virginia
Georgia Tech at Notre Dame
==2022==
Notre Dame at North Carolina
Notre Dame at Syracuse
Boston College at Notre Dame
Clemson at Notre Dame
==2023==
Notre Dame at NC State
Notre Dame at Duke
Notre Dame at Louisville
Wake Forest at Notre Dame
Notre Dame at Clemson
Pittsburgh at Notre Dame
==2024==
Miami at Notre Dame
Notre Dame at Georgia Tech
Florida State at Notre Dame
Virginia at Notre Dame
==2025==
Notre Dame at Miami
NC State at Notre Dame
Notre Dame at Boston College
Notre Dame at Pittsburgh
Syracuse at Notre Dame
==2026==
Notre Dame at Florida State
Louisville at Notre Dame
Notre Dame at North Carolina
Syracuse at Notre Dame
Virginia at Notre Dame
==2027==
Notre Dame at Clemson
Notre Dame at Duke
Georgia Tech at Notre Dame
Virginia Tech at Notre Dame
Notre Dame at Wake Forest
==2028==
Boston College at Notre Dame
Clemson at Notre Dame
Miami at Notre Dame
Notre Dame at Pitt
Notre Dame at Virginia Tech
==2029==
Notre Dame at Florida State
Georgia Tech at Notre Dame
Notre Dame at NC State
Notre Dame at Syracuse
Wake Forest at Notre Dame
==2030==
Notre Dame at Boston College
Duke at Notre Dame
Florida State at Notre Dame
Notre Dame at Louisville
North Carolina at Notre Dame
==2031==
x-Notre Dame at Clemson
Miami at Notre Dame
Notre Dame at North Carolina
NC State at Notre Dame
Notre Dame at Virginia
==2032==
Florida State at Notre Dame
Notre Dame at Georgia Tech
Louisville at Notre Dame
Notre Dame at Miami
Wake Forest at Notre Dame
==2033==
Notre Dame at Boston College
Notre Dame at Duke
Notre Dame at Louisville
Pitt at Notre Dame
Virginia Tech at Notre Dame
==2034==
Clemson at Notre Dame
Notre Dame at Miami
Notre Dame at Pitt
Syracuse at Notre Dame
Virginia at Notre Dame
==2035==
Boston College at Notre Dame
Duke at Notre Dame
Notre Dame at Louisville
Notre Dame at NC State
Notre Dame at Virginia
==2036==
x-Notre Dame at Virginia Tech
Florida State at Notre Dame
Notre Dame at Georgia Tech
North Carolina at Notre Dame
Pitt at Notre Dame
==2037==
Notre Dame at Clemson
Miami at Notre Dame
NC State at Notre Dame
Notre Dame at Syracuse
Notre Dame at Wake Forest
This story was originally published May 11, 2017 at 1:51 PM with the headline "Here’s what the ACC’s extended football agreement with Notre Dame means."