Michael Wilbon slams Notre Dame over calling out the ACC after CFP snub: 'I do hate them'

One way or the other, seemingly everyone out there has an emotion regarding Notre Dame over the past 24 hours. ESPN’s Michael Wilbon is not too bothered by the decision to leave the Irish out of the College Football Playoff in favor of Alabama and Miami. Instead, Wilbon slammed Notre Dame for how AD Pete Bevacqua called out the ACC on Monday morning.

“I’m mad now,” Wilbon said via Pardon The Interruption. “Earlier, I wasn’t angry. I told you on the podcast this morning, it was just about head-to-head, it was. But now Notre Dame has the nerve to come out and criticize the ACC? The nerve when they cozy up to the ACC for their purposes and their benefit over the years? They’ve won every popularity contest in the history of man. They got the whole world stumping for them. And now they want to whine to the ACC? They’re lucky I’m not Jim Phillips, because the statement I would have released would have crushed them forever.”

Bevacqua went on The Dan Patrick Show, saying there is now “permanent damage” in the relationship between Notre Dame and the ACC. This stems from the conference going to bat for Miami, while also taking aim at Notre Dame throughout the process. Not many in South Bend were huge fans of the messaging.

Phillips responded with a statement of his own. He stated excitement for Miami getting included in the 12-team field and expressed disappointment in Notre Dame being left out.

Wilbon later continued to go after the Fighting Irish, saying, “I do hate them.” However, he does not feel alone in the sentiment and believes others would agree with him.

“How hypocritical is Notre Dame?” Wilbon asked. “Let me (kissing noises) the ACC, as long as I get my paycheck and then behave like this. Notre Dame? I hate them today. I’m glad they’re home. I’m glad they’re going nowhere. No playoffs, no bowl game. Get out, Notre Dame. I do hate them, today more than ever. And I got reason. And I got support.”

Notre Dame will not take the field again in 2025. An opportunity to play in the Pop-Tarts Bowl against BYU — a fellow College Football Playoff bubble team on the outside looking in — became available, only for the program to turn it down. Head coach Marcus Freeman will turn his attention to preparing the program to make a run next season.