Big East commissioner Mike Aresco commented Thursday on Notre Dame's impending departure for the Atlantic Coast Conference in all sports besides football and hockey, two sports the Fighting Irish didn't play in the Big East anyway. Aresco's brief comments are unsurprisingly, blandly positive:
Notre Dame has been a valued member of the BIG EAST Conference and we wish them success in the future. However, Notre Dame’s departure does not change our plans. We have prestigious institutions that are excited to be a part of the BIG EAST. We remain committed to making the BIG EAST stronger than it has ever been.
Notre Dame's move has already been praised by Syracuse athletic director Daryl Gross and represents a change of heart for Notre Dame AD Jack Swarbrick, who questioned Syracuse and Pittsburgh's departure for the ACC last year. Adding the Fighting Irish will make the ACC a 15-school league in all sports but football.
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