Notre Dame’s College Football Playoff snub after the 2025 season led to a public spat between the program and the Atlantic Coast Conference. The program did not receive the expected support after the snub. Even though the program’s athletic director’s reservations remain, he has now come clean on where they stand with the conference.

Despite the widely known strained relations between Notre Dame and the ACC earlier this year, the Irish’s athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, claimed their bond has “never been stronger than ever,” per On3‘s Brett Murphy. Regardless, even months later, he still has his reservations about the support the conference showed to Miami while they both contended for a playoff spot.

“No, it wasn’t (said) in the heat at the moment,” he said Monday. “But all I would say is we’re in good position.”

Notre Dame joined the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2013, and involved most of their sports, except football. Hence, Notre Dame football is not an ACC member. But the program plays against five ACC programs every season, and has a partnership with the conference that lasts till 2037. This preference given to Notre Dame does not sit well with other ACC programs, who have to watch Notre Dame gain an unfair exemption from the biggest sport in college.

The 2025 College Football Playoff ranking came with a bit of drama for the Irish. The team, under Marcus Freeman’s leadership, had finished the regular season with a 10-2 record and was ranked 10th in the playoff rankings, ahead of the Miami Hurricanes. But just when it was time for the playoffs, the CFP selection committee moved Miami over the Irish.

Their excuse was that the BYU Cougars’ loss in the Big 12 title game influenced the decision. Before then, BYU was ranked 11th, a spot above Miami at 12th. As a result, BYU’s loss saw them drop while the Hurricanes took the 11th spot, ranking directly below the Irish. At this point, the committee had a problem with Miami ranking below Notre Dame since they won the head-to-head 27-24 in Week 1.  The head-to-head became the ultimate deciding factor, and the Hurricanes earned the playoff spot over the Irish.

While the conference commissioner Jim Philips was not so vocal on the situation, the ACC Network re-broadcast the Week 1 game between the Hurricanes and Notre Dame several times, sending the idea that the conference was backing Miami. Pete Bevacqua appeared on the Dan Patrick Show and ranted on how the ACC has caused “permanent damage” to their relationship.

“We were mystified by the actions of the conference to attack their biggest business partner in football and a member of their conference in 24 of our other sports. … They have certainly done permanent damage to the relationship between the conference and Notre Dame.”

“We didn’t appreciate the fact that we were singled out repeatedly and compared to Miami, not by Miami, Miami has every right to do that. But it raised a lot of eyebrows here that the conference was taking shots at us.”

Miami went on to make the College Football Playoff National Championship, losing the final to Indiana 27-21. Notwithstanding, at the ACC’s spring meetings on Monday, the Irish’s director was over the conflict of last season, expressing his support for synergy between the program and the conference.

Marcus Freeman on Notre Dame’s CFP snub

Marcus Freeman and his players were so frustrated at the playoff snub that they opted out of postseason play and were sanctioned as a result. It was an event Pete Bevacqua condemned severely, going as far as calling it a robbery. But Freeman had the best description of how his players reacted to it.

“In the moment when it was announced, I didn’t have the words to say, because we were shocked, surprised, disappointed,” Freeman said.

“I remember telling the players, ‘Í don’t know what to say right now’. Usually, I do. I remember telling them, ‘don’t let this decision steal the joy of what you guys accomplished this season. Where we started to where we finished, be proud of that journey.”

Freeman went ahead to apologize to the seniors who were playing in their final season with the program, as they would have no next season to avenge. However, he urged the other player not to lose the loss, but to use it as a fuel for the 2026 season. Already, cornerback Leonard Moore understands the message and is gearing up for their rematch against Miami on November 7, claiming they have to “make it right from last year”.