Notre Dame joined the ACC in non-football sports in 2013, with the football team playing five ACC games and seven non-conference games each season. A lot of people, including college head coaches, have opinions on this!
Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer made his thoughts known on Notre Dame's conference affiliation Tuesday, endorsing the Irish for full membership in the ACC but decrying their current status as an independent.
Frank Beamer on Notre Dame: "I’m not sure there should be any school out there that’s treated differently than the others."
— Joe Schad (@schadjoe) July 28, 2015
Beamer's not only not the first coach to call out Notre Dame's scheduling deal, he's not the first one in the ACC to do so this week.
Dabo Swinney agrees w/Gary Pinkel: "Absolutely Notre Dame needs to be in conference or play 13 games to be in @CFBPlayoff"
— Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) July 27, 2015
Add Jimbo Fisher, David Cutcliffe, Frank Beamer & Dave Doeren to list who believe Notre Dame should be in league/play 13 games
— Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) July 28, 2015
Swinney was echoing comments made earlier in the week by Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel.
Gary Pinkel said no independents in @CFBPlayoff. "Give Notre Dame year to join a league. They don’t have independents in NFL"
— Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) July 20, 2015
The Pac-12 joined in Wednesday.
Mike MacIntyre: "Each conference should play 9 league games & have title game. Notre Dame needs to get in a conference"
— Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) July 29, 2015
Kyle Whittingham said all P5 should play same number league games & have title game. "Notre Dame's gotta join (a conference)"
— Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) July 29, 2015
Sonny Dykes said Notre Dame should be in a league because of @CFBPlayoff: “Why should they be different than anyone else?"
— Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) July 30, 2015
It's not just this week that coaches have had a problem with the deal. A brief timeline of complaints about the Irish's conference arrangement from Division I coaches:
UCF head coach George O'Leary called it unfair in 2012.
I don't think anybody should have a right to pick and choose in today's day and age. I think that's something that the rest of the conferences shouldn't put up with.
In 2013, South Carolina's Steve Spurrier said "it's hard to figure out why" Notre Dame has so much power without being in a conference.
After discussing potential payments for players and their families, the Ol' Ball Coach called out Notre Dame on its football independence and said the school doesn't deserve to carry the same weight of influence as the sport's conferences. "It's hard to figure out why" Notre Dame has an equal voice, Spurrier said.
Duke men's basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski, also in 2013:
I would never have accepted personally them coming in and not being totally in. Why don't Duke and North Carolina do something different in basketball? I mean it's not right. I'm happy that they're part of it I'm just not happy the way that they're apart of it.
UConn women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma took similar issue to the Irish's previous Big East deal.
They've been in our league something like [17] years. How long are we going to date before we just decide this ain't working? I'm not happy about it.
And finally, Notre Dame football coach Brian Kelly, bringing this all full circle last year.
All I can do is voice my ... you know, as a football coach, especially one that's been in the Midwest, I love the ability to play Michigan and Michigan State and the tradition of it. But the reality of it is, you know, for our athletic department to enter into the agreement with the ACC, we have to give up a little bit from a football perspective relative to scheduling.
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