Conference Affiliation
Notre Dame is a currently member of the Big East Conference in all sports except for the following:
- Football, in which it maintains its status as one of a handful of Division I FBS Independents.
- Men's hockey competes in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA). The CCHA will disband after the 2012–13 season due to a major realignment of hockey conferences. The Notre Dame team will join Hockey East effective in July 2013.
- Men's and women's fencing competes in the Midwest Fencing Conference.
In September 2012, Notre Dame announced that it will be moving to the Atlantic Coast Conference, but with the same exceptions listed above. Football will remain independent, although Notre Dame has agreed to play five ACC teams during the football season.
According to men's basketball Coach Mike Brey, Notre Dame seriously considered joining the Big Ten Conference in 2003, with the decision to not proceed occurring at the "11th hour." Since 2008, the Big East's football coaches have pushed the conference to deliver an ultimatum to Notre Dame to either affiliate its football team with the Big East or leave the conference entirely, according to then-Connecticut head football coach Randy Edsall. Such an ultimatum is speculated by some to have the potential to "save" the Big East, as Notre Dame would likely join the Big Ten and perhaps satisfy that conference's desire for expansion; the Big East would likely be "all done" if the Big Ten were to pull two or more teams from it. Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick has stated, however, that the university will only join the Big Ten if the conference severely damages the Big East by pulling teams from it; "n other words, if the Big Ten adds just a single member, it won't be Notre Dame."
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