Notre Dame AD Pete Bevacqua's Post-Season Press Conference: Addressing the CFP, ACC, and Marcus Freeman

Well, it seems like Notre Dame is still the talk of the sporting world following the controversial decision by the committee to leave the Irish out of the CFP. Since then, Notre Dame Athletic Director Pete Bevacqua has done the media rounds and a press conference to tell Notre Dame's side of the story. In case you missed it, here are the three main takeaways of Bevacqua's somewhat fiery press conference.

1. Notre Dame feels as if the rug was pulled out from underneath them

During the press conference, Bevacqua made it clear how he and the entire program felt about the CFP committee's choice to leave Notre Dame out of the playoffs after having them in through the entirety of the ranking season. He made it clear that it was this process he had problems with, not the teams that were selected instead of the Irish.

"As I said yesterday, as I said on Sunday, we felt we did everything we could over the course of the season... We felt that the CFP committee, the ranking committee, felt the same way. You go back to that first ranking where we were 6-2, and Miami was 6-2, and they had already beaten us. And we were 10th, and they were 18th. And the only thing that happened from that point forward is we both went on these amazing runs. And through no fault of our own, we wake up and find out that we’re the odd man out, we’re on the outside looking in" Bevacqua said.

Bevacqua was clear in his explanation that he had no issue with Alabama and Miami getting in, claiming they were both great teams deserving of the spots. Like most Notre Dame fans, Bevacqua and the team felt blindsided due to the questionable process the committee took to establish the 12 teams that would take part in the playoff. As he said, Notre Dame had been ranked inside the playoffs for the entire duration of the rankings, leading many to believe that as long as Notre Dame continued to play well, they would get in. It was not until the final rankings that it seemed like that was no longer enough to convince the committee that they were deserving of a spot.

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2. There is real tension between Notre Dame and the ACC

Through all of the CFP controversy, Notre Dame has also found itself in the middle of more controversy regarding their relationship with the ACC. During Bevacqua's interview on The Dan Patrick Show, he made it clear that the ACC's campaign to get Miami in the playoff caused "permanent damage" to the two's relationship.

In Tuesday's press conference, he went on to explain that the ACC's actions were surprising to many within the Notre Dame administration, given the mutually beneficial relationship Notre Dame and the conference have built for the last decade.

"We were really surprised by and disappointed (by) was how the ACC conference really went on a social media campaign, in my opinion, attacking our football program... And it just kind of puzzled us that a conference that’s home to over 600 of our student athletes walking around this campus today, I guess chose to go down that road. I guess intellectually I understand it, but I certainly don’t agree with it" Bevacqua said.

The Notre Dame Football Program and the ACC have been partners since 2014. This partnership has given Notre Dame an easier and more sustainable avenue to play power-4 opponents throughout the season, while still maintaining many traditional rivalries. For the ACC, it provides the conference with a national brand and consistent, high-level competition. Bevacqua was sure to illustrate the immense value Notre Dame brings to the ACC.

"And the ACC is important to us, and we’re important to the ACC. And think about football for a minute. Those ACC teams wanna play us in football. Interesting stat, since 2014, when we started our football relationship with the ACC, if you look at stadiums, ACC games sell out roughly 23% of the time. When Notre Dame goes to an ACC site, it’s 90% of the time. When you think about ratings for ACC football games when they play Notre Dame, there’s a tremendous lift" Bevacqua said.

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3. Notre Dame will continue to support Marcus Freeman by any means necessary

Towards the end of the press conference, Bevacqua raved about Marcus Freeman and his importance to not only the football program but the entire university.

“It’s tough to say he’s more than the Notre Dame football coach, because being the Notre Dame football coach means so much. But he’s more than the Notre Dame football coach. He’s part of this university. He’s part of the fabric of this university. So is Joanna. So are his kids. He’s everywhere. As you’ve heard me say before, he’s at soccer games, women’s and men’s basketball games, hockey games talking to students. He’s an amazing individual and an amazing leader, and we feel blessed that he’s our coach" Bevacqua said.

This all came after being asked about NFL teams potentially being interested in Freeman. While Bevacqua understands the interest in Freeman, he assured the Notre Dame faithful that he knows how important Freeman is to the program.

"I would never say we wouldn’t match anything when it comes to Marcus. Everybody has eyes on Marcus. College has eyes on Marcus. NFL has eyes on Marcus. I bet Hollywood has eyes on Marcus...It’s one of my main obligations and responsibilities to this university: to make sure Marcus wakes up every day knowing that he is supported and valued by Notre Dame. And I can say with 100% certainty he feels that way. Notre Dame is totally aligned around the importance of college football for Notre Dame. We’re totally aligned on how he is the perfect coach for Notre Dame" Bevacqua said.

Now that Notre Dame has entered the off-season, Bevacqua stated that although the pain of missing the playoffs hurts, the program needs to turn the page to 2026 while still appreciating the accomplishments of the 2025 season.

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