Duke's Mike Krzyzewski 'never accepted' Notre Dame in ACC

Nicole Auerbach | USA TODAY Sports

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski has not kept his feelings secret on the subject of realignment.

He's expressed displeasure at Maryland, one of the Atlantic Coast Conference's charter members, leaving the league. He's lamented the loss of long-standing rivalries. And now, he's publicly speaking out against one of his league's newest members — Notre Dame.

Krzyzewski was asked by the New York Post in a Q&A what he thought about the ACC's relationship with Notre Dame, in which the Irish remain a football independent but are contractually obligated to play five games against ACC foes. The Irish joined the ACC as full members in every other sport.

Let's just say he's not a fan.

"I think you can't do something for one that you're not willing to do for all in these type of situations," Krzyzewski said. "I would never have accepted personally them coming in and not being totally in. Why don't Duke and North Carolina do something different in basketball? I mean it's not right. I'm happy that they're part of it I'm just not happy the way that they're apart of it.

"They add value but, just being old-fashioned, (if) we're playing cards, we all get five cards. That's why they were never a member of the Big Ten."

Notre Dame men's basketball coach Mike Brey hasn't said much on the subject of football, but he did Friday when he heard of Coach K's comments.

"First of all, isn't Mike Catholic?" Brey joked to the South Bend Tribune when he heard of the remarks. "I feel I have to respond on behalf of my Irish. Come on, man. Come on. In this time of conference realignment, you've got to think outside the box and (ACC commissioner) John Swofford did that. He got us and we're in.

"Let's wake up and smell the roses. This is a whole new era. ... That's been out there – 'God, they got in, but they got in without bringing football,' " Brey said. "I'm like, 'We're in man, pat us on the back. We're in the family.' "

Brey, who was a longtime assistant for Krzyzewski, went a bit further, bristling at the idea that Notre Dame is treated differently than everyone else. What about Duke and North Carolina? The two teams have combined to win nine national championships.

"They live in a whole different world," Brey said. "They're on TV more than anyone. They get more exposure than any team in the league and rightfully so. "They do kind of have their own world and they've earned that, just as we've earned remaining independent in football for now."

So will Brey and Krzyzewski enter their first season together on a positive note?

"Mike should just hug us and welcome us," Brey said. "Now let's go make it the best league in the country."

Nicole Auerbach, a national college basketball reporter for USA TODAY Sports, is on Twitter @Nicole Auerbach.