ACC's response to Notre Dame's CFB snub borders on gaslighting

In response to Notre Dame's complaints about how the ACC handled the march to the College Football Playoff, it appears commissioner Jim Phillips has opted for gaslighting.

Not long after Irish AD Pete Bevacqua appeared on the Dan Patrick show and made it clear he and Marcus Freeman were furious over the way the ACC campaigned for Miami and against Notre Dame, Phillips issued his response.

While the response was long and rambling, the key point came when he claimed that the conference never tried to disparage Notre Dame. A claim that isn't backed up by reality.

ACC’s response to Notre Dame only heightens tension after CFP fallout

"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."

Ok. Fair enough. However, the support and advocacy crossed a line, and Phillips knows it. The way it becomes obvious he knows it was the following paragraph.

"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."

The problem with that claim is that the ACC's social media accounts spent weeks not just advocating for Miami, but shouting from the rooftops that they were better than Notre Dame.

The most interesting part of how the ACC was advocating for Miami was that when they were matching them up against BYU or Alabama, the posts seemed respectful, even while making it clear the conference believed its school was better. But when the comparison was to Notre Dame, there was absolute pettiness involved.

No Notre Dame fan thinks the ACC shouldn't push its College Football Playoff-eligible team forward. But even if the Irish aren't a football member, they are in several other major sports, including baseball and basketball. All Bevaqua and the rest of the South Bend school were asking was not to disparage them while making the case.

Jim Phillips claimed they never did. No one, certainly not anyone with Notre Dame, believes the easily disprovable statement.