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Heather Dinich, ESPN Senior Writer
While college athletics undergoes significant changes, Notre Dame leaders say they want to maintain Notre Dame's independence as they feel “as secure as ever” with football's status. The desire remains the same, first-year athletic director Pete Bevacqua told ESPN on Thursday.
Bevacqua, who began his new role Monday following the retirement of longtime athletic director Jack Swarbrick, cited multiple reasons why the athletic department continues to feel secure. He said the university's recent television deal with NBC, its affiliation with the ACC in all other sports except hockey, and its new College Football Playoff deal all provide financial security. . He also said he is “bullish” about the future of the football program as head coach Marcus Freeman enters his third season.
“We're in a time like no other in the modern era of college football,” said Bevacqua, who graduated from Notre Dame in 1993 and served in Notre Dame's administration before returning as an administrator in 2023. “We are in a position where we can be as independent as possible.” He is the third chairman in NBC Sports history. “If you look at the conference realignment and everything that's happened, frankly our position as an independent player in football is certainly more unique than ever, but also more valuable than ever. I think there is.”
In a new six-year CFP agreement starting in 2026, Notre Dame could earn about $18 million a year, according to sources, which would bring the program significantly closer to what Big Ten and SEC schools earn. It is said that it will happen. over $21 million). It would also give the Irish a boost over ACC and Big 12 schools.
Starting in 2026, Notre Dame is expected to receive more than $12 million in CFP revenue sharing, more than ACC schools (more than $13 million per year) and Big 12 schools (also more than $12 million). It is of the same scale.
Bevacqua declined to comment on the CFP revenue agreement, but industry sources told ESPN that there will also be $6 million in financial incentives available for independent teams that reach CFP. Notre Dame is supposed to be an additional source of revenue for the Irish team. The access protections built into the new CFP contract will remain regardless of whether the final format includes 12 or 14 teams. If Oregon and Washington do not join the conference by then, they would also be eligible to receive an additional $6 million, along with UConn, the only remaining independent school. There will be no participation bonus for any conference.
“Our dollar value from CFPs is very strong, and the fact that we have the ability to earn additional revenue when creating CFPs puts us in an even better position.” Bebaqua he said. “So when you step back and look at the totality of those three elements: our relationship with NBC, our relationship with the ACC Network, and the CFP, we're in an incredibly strong position compared to the rest of the college sports world. There is.”
With the Big Ten and SEC separated from other leagues in both size and wealth, and the ACC embroiled in lawsuits with Clemson and Florida, questions swirl about further realignment. Bevacqua said Notre Dame feels “very strongly” about its relationship with ACC and Secretary Jim Phillips, a fellow Notre Dame alumnus.
“Obviously, like the rest of the conference, we're talking about the conference and Jim Phillips and FSU and Clemson, but the conference is in great shape and a long-term relationship with ESPN is important. We feel that there is. We have secured inclusion in the CFP, which is very important, as it will be for the next eight years,” Bevacqua said. “There are a lot of incredible things happening in the ACC, and we value our relationships and value being in that conference in the vast majority of sports with two exceptions, obviously football and hockey. I have to.”
Notre Dame is its most valuable asset remaining, and while the ACC has not shied away from courting the Irish for full membership in the past, Bevacqua said he wants Notre Dame to maintain its independence in football. That is fundamentally important.” This allowed the school to establish itself as a national football-related university.
Bevacqua is confident in Freeman's future with Ireland, but recognizes the pressure to win in order to maintain the national brand: “Winning the national championship is absolutely a must.'' It's necessary,” he said.
“There's been that pressure on Notre Dame since Knute Rockne,” he says. “Frankly, it's not a pressure that we shy away from. It's a pressure that we embrace. As lifelong Notre Dame fans and alumni, we live through that pressure. There's an understanding that football at Notre Dame is probably more important than anywhere else.'' It's certainly as much a part of this university's DNA as it is anywhere else in the country.
“I know it's a big priority for us, not just to stay where we are, but to win a national championship and be number one, frankly,” he said.
