Notre Dame joins ACC in all sports except football

CLEMSON - Notre Dame is joining the Atlantic Coast Conference in all sports except football, the conference announced Wednesday.

Notre Dame will play five football games per year against ACC teams as part of the agreement.

Clemson president James Barker was one of the ACC presidents who spearheaded the move, according to Clemson board of trustees chair David Wilkins.

“I think it’s huge for the ACC,” Wilkins said. “I think it’s a very positive step. I think it strengthens the conference. It shows great leadership by (ACC commish) John Swofford and folks like James Barker who advocated for this. I’m very proud what was done.”

The ACC also announced it is increasing its exit penalty to $50 million for members.

Wilkins said the ACC’s hope is for Notre Dame to eventually join the ACC in football as a full member.

Notre Dame enjoys its own football television deal, lessening its interest to join a conference in football but conference expansion is shrinking non-conference schedules and could force Notre Dame to join a conference in football.

When Notre Dame enters the ACC is unclear. Notre Dame cannot leave the Big East without penalty until 2015.

The addition marks the third time Swofford has raided the Big East, adding Miami, Virginia Tech, Boston College, Syracuse and Pittsburgh in a wave of expansion moves.

The addition will also allow the ACC to reopen the 15-year, $3.6 billion television deal it renegotiated with ESPN in the spring and seek more dollars, according to Yahoo! sports.