Notre Dame AD reveals preference for College Football Playoff expansion
By Derek Hryn
Published:
Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua is all-in on a 16-team College Football Playoff.
On the Dan Patrick Show Friday, Bevacqua laid out his vision: five automatic qualifiers from the Power Five conferences, plus the highest-rated Group of Five champion, with the rest of the field filled by at-large teams.
“100% answer in my opinion, 16 teams is the way we should go,” Bevacqua said.
He emphasized that playoff spots should be earned on the field, not granted based on conference affiliation. That runs counter to previous proposals championed by the Big Ten, which would grant several automatic berths to the sport’s most powerful conferences.
He also touched on tradition, reaffirming Notre Dame’s commitment to keeping its historic rivalry with USC alive, regardless of schedule changes. The Fighting Irish take on the Trojans at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday night.
