Notre Dame’s stunning exclusion from the College Football Playoff has ignited a firestorm between the Fighting Irish and the ACC that could fundamentally reshape college football’s landscape. Athletic director Pete Bevacqua declared on the Dan Patrick Show that the conference’s lobbying for Miami over Notre Dame had caused “permanent damage” to their relationship. 

The ACC’s decision to openly campaign against one of its own members (Notre Dame competes in the conference in 24 non-football sports) struck the Irish administration as a betrayal, especially given how much value ND brings to the ACC brand. But here’s the million-dollar question, or more accurately, the hundred-million-dollar question: what would it actually cost Fighting Irish to walk away from this relationship? And what exactly are the terms that bind these two parties together in the first place?​

The contract between Notre Dame and the ACC in football

Notre Dame’s relationship with the ACC is unique in college sports. They’re simultaneously independent and affiliated, maintaining football autonomy while participating as a full member in nearly every other sport. The football arrangement dates back to 2013 when Notre Dame joined the ACC for all sports except football and hockey. But they agreed to play five ACC opponents annually in football through 2037. 

And it’s tied to Notre Dame’s media rights structure, sort of. The Irish receive approximately $11 million annually from the ACC, with all other sports barring football. They don’t get the ACC media share from because they retain their own media rights with NBC, as they have aired their games since 1991. The new deal pays them $20-25 million per year. This will increase to $50 million under the new extension they signed.

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What makes Notre Dame’s situation different from other ACC schools is that it never signed the conference’s Grant of Rights agreement for football. While the ACC’s Grant of Rights locks full members into surrendering their media rights through 2036, ND is not locked in due to its deal with NBC. However, there’s a catch. 

If Notre Dame ever decides to join a conference for football before 2037, it’s contractually obligated to join the ACC. This provision essentially gives the ACC the first right of refusal over Irish’s football membership. It creates a leverage point that could complicate any potential move to the Big Ten or SEC. The arrangement also extends automatically with the ACC’s Grant of Rights modifications. It means Notre Dame’s non-football commitment runs parallel to the conference’s broader media deals.​

What will it cost Notre Dame to come out of the ACC contract?

Suppose Notre Dame wanted to completely sever ties with the ACC and join another conference in all sports, it’d face a different financial calculation than schools like Clemson and Florida State. The recent legal settlement between the ACC, Clemson, and FSU established a sliding scale of exit fees. It starts at $165 million for the 2025-26 academic year and decreases by $18 million annually until bottoming out at $75 million from 2030-31 through 2036.

However, these figures apply to full conference members who signed the Grant of Rights for football. Notre Dame’s partial membership status means it wouldn’t owe the Grant of Rights buyout. Instead, Notre Dame would likely face only the standard exit fee. 

The exact amount remains unclear since their agreement differs from that of the members.​ But according to ESPN’s David Hale, Notre Dame’s exit fee could be around or upwards of $100 million. 

Notre Dame could pursue legal avenues similar to those pursued by Clemson and Florida State. Both schools successfully reduced their own exit costs. They challenged the legality of the ACC’s exit fee structure and Grant of Rights provisions. It ultimately forced the conference into a settlement that dramatically lowered departure costs. Either way, Bevacqua’s declaration of “permanent damage” suggests the Irish are at minimum exploring their options. The ACC just handed them the perfect justification to do so.​