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Panther Hollow: Pederson On How Irish-ACC Deal Affects Pitt

PITTSBURGH (93-7 THE FAN) -- On Wednesday the Atlantic Coast Conference, future home of the Panthers, formally announced Notre Dame would also join next academic year for all sports, except for football and hockey, though the Fighting Irish agreed play at least five football games against ACC opponents each season.

Pitt athletic director Steve Pederson told the media on the South Side he is excited about the addition, and about the possibility of preserving a fruitful football rivalry for the long-term future.

"We've got a contract through 2016 with Notre Dame. We don't know how it's going to play out...we've enjoyed the Notre Dame series, and we look forward to welcoming Penn State back in as well. We're going to be playing nine BCS teams per year in addition to whomever else might be out there, so it'll be a challenging schedule under any circumstances," Pederson said.

"In this day and age, to have some kind of long-term stability is very important for all the power conferences. We're pleased that we're all in this together," he added, noting the $50 million exit fee that will apply to Notre Dame.

Check out the AD's full remarks:

Stay tuned to your flagship home of Pitt football and men's basketball, SportsRadio 93.7 The Fan, for the latest.

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