Yep, they dared to suggest that a Catholic college observe basic Catholic doctrine.
More than that, they got in his face and challenged his authority and his judgment on what he views as his turf. It’s like Cape buffalo facing off.
To be sure, we did see this coming several decades ago. The Land of Lakes proclamation, by which Catholic colleges told their namesake church that its norms really didn’t matter any more to what the college did.
From discussion some time back, I believe I understood that the bishop serving Notre Dame’s local area could tell Notre Dame that the right to call themselves “Roman Catholic” is rescinded. This is the nuclear option but it may be the only thing left.