ACC Commissioner on Notre Dame: 'We Have a Responsibility To Support Our Teams'

ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said the league has a "responsibility" to advocate for its football-playing members for College Football Playoff bids, coming after criticism from Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua tied to the league's public support of Miami (Fla.) for a bid.

Monday's statement came after Bevacqua told "The Dan Patrick Show" that the ACC's Miami advocacy had "certainly done permanent damage" to the relationship between the league and the school, which is a football independent but an ACC member in its other league sports.

The Fighting Irish were passed over for an at-large bid, with the Hurricanes getting into the 12-team field largely by virtue of a head-to-head win against the Irish to open the season. As a result, Notre Dame opted not to play in any bowl game — it has access to the ACC's bowl tie-ins each year if it fails to make the CFP — and end its season.

"The University of Notre Dame is an incredibly valued member of the ACC and there is tremendous respect and appreciation for the entire institution," Phillips said. "With that said, when it comes to football, we have a responsibility to support and advocate for all 17 of our football-playing member institutions, and I stand behind our conference efforts to do just that leading up to the College Football Playoff Committee selections on Sunday.

"At no time was it suggested by the ACC that Notre Dame was not a worthy candidate for inclusion in the field. We are thrilled for the University of Miami while also understanding and appreciating the significant disappointment of the Notre Dame players, coaches and program."

Phillips had been emphatic in arguing that the Hurricanes deserved a playoff bid along with the winner of the Duke-Virginia