Dependence Day cometh

Independence Day was a week ago, but up in that place where ghosts walk, Father Corby signals for the fair catch and lore grows like velvet leaf, a different kind of day is fast approaching.

Notre Dame football is about to go head-to-head with Dependence Day.

The Irish have been proudly independent since before Gus Dorais threw and Knute Rockne caught, and it has served them well. They've got their own TV deal and their pick of opponents, because every program that's any program eventually wants to come to Notre Dame.

But like so much else, all of that has gone on its head in 2020.

The dominoes are already toppling. The Big Ten announced it will limit its fall sports to conference games only, and a day later the Pac-12 followed suit. And you can bet the farm all the other Power 5s soon will do the same.

Which leaves Notre Dame football in something of a pickle.

See, the Irish are members of the ACC, but football is not, at least officially. It's the oddest of arrangements, because even though it allows Notre Dame to maintain its independence in football, the Irish still play half their schedule against ACC opponents. So it's kind of like being a member of a
the club without actually being a member of the club.

Everyone: "Wait, aren't you a member of the club?"

Notre Dame: "Nah, We just hang with 'em once in awhile."

That sort of deal.

Now, however, the Irish are going to have to hang with the ACC a lot. Because once the ACC gets in line and declares it will only play conference games this fall, Notre Dame's kinda-sorta independence will by necessity have to exit stage right. Otherwise it won't have a football season.

Already it's lost games against Wisconsin, USC and Stanford thanks to the Big Ten/Pac 12 edicts. Without becoming, at least for now, a de facto member of the ACC as is every other sport at N.D., it will lose six more games. And you can go ahead and make it seven after the SEC shuts down its non-conference games, because the Irish are also scheduled to play Arkansas.

Sooo, there it is. Welcome to the ACC, Coach Kelly.

At least for the time being.