Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love (4) runs the ball into the end zone for a touchdown in the first half of a NCAA football game against Syracuse at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in South Bend.

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have a bone to pick with the ACC. Not only did Miami get into the College Football Playoff while the Irish did not; the ACC's clownish handling of its tiebreakers and schedule enabled a five-loss Duke team to get into the ACC Championship Game and win it, which ultimately led to James Madison grabbing an unexpected CFP spot and locking out Notre Dame.

The ACC's mismanagement essentially cost Notre Dame a playoff spot. It's not that Miami didn't deserve to be in; it did after beating Notre Dame head to head. The ACC's flaw was from the Duke side, which created the loophole James Madison jumped through. The ACC did deserve one playoff team, but its conference championship disaster opened the door for a non-Notre Dame team (JMU) to sneak into the field.

With the Notre Dame-ACC relationship in a state of disrepair, the question emerges: If Notre Dame severs ties with the ACC -- not just in football scheduling, but altogether -- could the landscape of conference realignment change in a meaningful and potent way? Let's dive in:

ACC football would lose a lot of inventory if Notre Dame leaves

Notre Dame leaving the ACC and ending the football schedule agreement would create a lot of open game slots for both the ACC and ESPN to fill. It would be a headache for the conference, something Notre Dame might want to create after what just happened.

Florida State and Clemson don't want to play Duke more often

Florida State and Clemson are the two most dissatisfied members of the ACC, especially with Miami getting into the playoff. FSU and Clemson feel stuck in a conference which isn't giving them maximum television revenue and national glamour. Playing Notre Dame occasionally is one of the more attractive parts of being in the ACC for FSU and Clemson. Taking this away will only make the Seminoles and Tigers more restless.

USC football rivalry becomes more important, not less

Notre Dame leaving the ACC -- if it does happen -- would make it more important for the Irish to continue their series with USC. This is worth noting on an immediate level, but it could open the door to the bigger conversation about conference realignment.

Big Ten-Notre Dame relationship could improve

Since Notre Dame is furious at ESPN-ABC-Disney, the Irish could consider moving their non-football sports to the Big Ten, a Fox partner. One would also think Notre Dame will play more Big Ten teams in football.

Notre Dame won't join the Big Ten as a football member

The Irish might join the Big Ten in basketball and Olympic sports, but they are not going to actually join the Big Ten as a football member. Remember: Notre Dame's independence means the Irish keep 100 percent of television money. They're not splitting the pie. They get the whole pie. That's not going to change.

Florida State, Clemson, Miami, USC, Michigan, BYU become independent

Not every school can handle independence, but several -- in addition to Notre Dame -- could. Florida State, Clemson, Miami, USC, Michigan, and BYU would all have strong reasons to consider independence in football. FSU, Clemson and Miami hate the ACC. USC and Michigan could bolt not only because they have resources, but because of Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti's misguided private equity gambit, which the Trojans and Wolverines stood against.

BYU has been snubbed twice by the College Football Playoff, showing that Big 12 membership did not carry significantly increased status in contentious playoff debates. BYU has been independent and would not find it hard to build a national schedule. That point aside, BYU could join these other schools and Notre Dame in playing each other as independents. Each of these teams could play four to five hard games and then play seven or eight cupcakes. The scheduling philosophy would be simple: Win at least two of the tough games and a 10-2 record probably earns a playoff berth most years.

Splinter effect

If the six schools above -- or even just four or five of them -- seek independent status and leave their current conferences, one would have to think other schools will reconsider their own positions. Stanford and Cal in the geographically incoherent ACC, UCLA in the Big Ten, and Memphis in the American Conference could all make a new push to do something different. How that would look like is unclear. The larger point is that schools could rethink realignment and use a Notre Dame-ACC divorce to redraw the map -- and contracts -- in their favor. A Notre Dame-ACC split, if it happens, will definitely create a fresh round of conversations. Where those conversations go is the real drama.

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This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: How could a Notre Dame-ACC divorce affect conference realignment?

Reporting by Matt Zemek, College Sports Wire / College Sports Wire

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