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Notre Dame Football: 5 Reasons the Fighting Irish should just join the ACC

By Michael Collins

Nov 28, 2015; Stanford, CA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly leads his team onto the field against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium. Stanford won 38-36.Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 28, 2015; Stanford, CA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly leads his team onto the field against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium. Stanford won 38-36.Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 28, 2015; Stanford, CA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly leads his team onto the field against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium. Stanford won 38-36.Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 28, 2015; Stanford, CA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly leads his team onto the field against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium. Stanford won 38-36.Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /

Notre Dame football is one of three remaining independent programs, but they aren’t doing themselves any favors by staying as such.

Over the past decade there has been an unprecedented number of schools hopping from conference to conference and an equally shocking number of conferences reshuffling, reforming or simply just dying out (R.I.P., Big East football).

But through it all, Notre Dame has remained steadfast in their desire to stay an independent program, almost as if it were papal dogma.

While there once was a time when being an independent and free Notre Dame was an advantage to the Fighting Irish, the massive conference payouts, changes in television broadcasting and viewership as well as the emergence of the internet have left that hallowed time of Irish dominance in the dust.

It’s time for the Golden Domers to face the facts, join the 21st century, and tee it up as a full-fledged member of a conference. The ACC – where the Irish are already a basketball member – is the natural pick. Notre Dame has already committed to four conference football matchups with ACC foes each season, so why not just take the plunge and join?

While adding Notre Dame would create a 15th ACC team and unbalanced divisions, scheduling solutions to remedy those problems aren’t out of the question.

Here are five reasons why Notre Dame should just stop fighting what seems to be inevitable.

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