The aftershocks of the 2025 College Football Playoff selections continue to be felt, with the biggest story being what happened to the Notre Dame football program and its snubbing. The biggest story since has been Notre Dame's decision to opt out of bowl season and stay home after the snub. There have also been issues between Notre Dame and the ACC following the selections.
On Wednesday's episode of “The Dan Patrick Show,” Paul Finebaum was a guest and thinks that if Notre Dame does join a conference, even on a partial basis, it makes the most sense to do so with the Big Ten. The Big Ten has the most schools near Notre Dame, and it seems like it would be great for the Big Ten on television, too. Finebaum thinks that, regardless, Notre Dame wants out of that contract with the ACC.
Finebaum said, “Now they have that contract with the ACC, and I'm sure some of that bluster by Pete was to get out of that. And I’m sure at some point the ACC is going to let them go. But yeah, the SEC and the Big Ten would probably be more than happy to fill in that role. But I think the Big Ten is where they belong, even on a limited schedule. It’s good for TV. I’m sure Fox and the 17 other networks that the Big Ten is on would love to do a five-game schedule. Especially with Ohio State, Michigan, and some of the bigger names in the Big Ten.”
Notre Dame's relationship with the ACC starts in football, but also extends beyond that. They have a contract with the ACC that requires them to play five games against conference teams, and they are against the bigger programs like Florida State, Clemson, and Miami. The other sports that the Fighting Irish have, like basketball, are full-time members of the ACC.
