After weeks of tension between Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua and ACC commissioner Jim Phillips over the Fighting Irish’s College Football Playoff snub, the two officials met in New York City to smooth things over.
According to Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger, the pair met for nearly two hours in what was described as a productive session that covered a range of issues.
The meeting followed a public rift stemming from the ACC’s vocal campaign for Miami to make the Playoff ahead of Notre Dame, a decision Bevacqua said damaged the school’s relationship with the league.
To be clear, both sides describe this meeting as highly positive as Notre Dame and the ACC continue their relationship. Https://t.co/PrsycFZ0P1
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) December 19, 2025
Notre Dame competes in the ACC for all sports except football and hockey but maintains a scheduling partnership in football. Bevacqua publicly blasted the conference earlier this month, saying the ACC had “attacked its biggest business partner” by campaigning against the Irish.
Leading up to the Playoff selection, the ACC’s social media accounts promoted Miami, which beat Notre Dame 27-24 in August, as more deserving of a spot, a move Bevacqua labeled as “targeting.”
“We didn’t understand why you’d go out of your way to try and damage us in the process,” he said after the selections.
Sources indicate both sides are optimistic about repairing relations between Notre Dame and the conference heading into 2026.
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