Is Notre Dame in the ACC? Exploring Atlantic coast teams in 2024 amid Conference realignment moves

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish will remain an independent team in college football for the 2024 season.

Notre Dame is one of four teams in college football that are independent, but amid college football realignment, the Fighting Irish have been the subject of joining a conference.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Notre Dame was part of the ACC, so there's a link there, but as of now, the Fighting Irish are not in the conference.

By being an independent, Notre Dame has more control of their schedule while also having their own TV media rights deal with NBC. But the Fighting Irish has an agreement with the ACC to play five games per year against ACC opponents, which helps ensure that Notre Dame has a competitive schedule year-to-year for poll and playoff contention.

Outside of football, Notre Dame is part of the ACC in every other spot, except for hockey, where it plays in the Big Ten.

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Will Notre Dame join the ACC?

With the new college football playoff, Notre Dame may soon join a conference to help increase its odds of making the playoffs.

Currently, five of the 12 spots are locked for conference winners, which Notre Dame can't be, so the Fighting Irish need to be one of the seven best teams to make the playoffs.

If they join the ACC, the Fighting Irish could get one of the top four seeds and a bye in the first round if they win the conference. Even if Notre Dame is ranked No. 1 by the college football playoff committee, it could only be the fifth seed at best.

Entering 2024, the football teams in the ACC are as follows:

• Boston College
• Clemson
• Duke
• Florida State
• Georgia Tech
• Louisville
• Miami
• UNC
• NC State
• Pittsburgh
• Syracue
• Virginia
• Virginia Tech
• Wake Forest

However, FSU, Clemson, UNC and other schools have expressed their frustration with the ACC and their media rights deal. Those schools are looking at potential ways to exit the conference, so if they do, that could impact Notre Dame and whether they join the ACC.