(CBS) Notre Dame is set to join the ACC in all sports but football and hockey, the school and conference jointly announced Wednesday.

Football will remain an independent, while hockey will still join the Hockey East conference following the 2012-13 season. As part of the agreement, the Notre Dame football team will play five games against ACC opponents.

“We have monitored the changing conference landscape for many months and have concluded that moving to the ACC is the best course of action for us,” Notre Dame athletics director Jack Swarbrick, said in a statement. “We are able to maintain our historic independence in football, join in the ACC’s non-BCS bowl package, and provide a new and extremely competitive home for our other sports.”

The big move here is in basketball where the ACC adds another respectable program and the Big East loses a big member. Syracuse and Pitt are also making the move from the Big East to the ACC.

“We are committed to keeping the Atlantic Coast Conference a vibrant and competitive league dedicated to ensuring the appropriate balance of academics, athletics and integrity,” the ACC Council of Presidents said in a statement. “The addition of Notre Dame further strengthens the rich tradition and culture of the ACC as well as allowing for future academic collaboration and we enthusiastically welcome them into the league.”