The Pete Bevacqua Thread

[IrishLax]

Did they completely overlook that before Mike Riley was HC at Oregon State & Nebraska that he played at Alabama? Why no recusal for his alma mater?

If true this is absolutely fucking crazy. The equivalent of any of us not having to recuse for Notre Dame.

 

[NDShark]

Did they completely overlook that before Mike Riley was HC at Oregon State & Nebraska that he played at Alabama? Why no recusal for his alma mater?

The more I learn, the angrier I get about this sham of a committee and process. While the entire world is mocking ND for being mad at the ACC, not being in a conference, being babies for not playing in the Citrus, etc., it's amazing how little reporting there is on details like these. It truly feels like us against the world.

 

[IrelandIrish]

There is a war ongoing

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25323447-cfb-ads-reportedly-threatening-stop-scheduling-notre-dame-amid-cfp-rule-change

Not that I trust br.

I think ND IS over the target

"The new rule came after the Fighting Irish finished 11th in the final CFP rankings, missing the Playoff despite having a 10-2 record. Notre Dame's only losses came to Miami and Texas A&M, both of whom made the Playoff."

they dont have the facts right. this rule was decided long before our exclusion
spam

 

[jprue24]

Did they completely overlook that before Mike Riley was HC at Oregon State & Nebraska that he played at Alabama? Why no recusal for his alma mater?

I did not miss that and it's why I dropped the bios and posted that he was also one of two "point persons" for the SEC. I almost bolded his name

 

[IRISHDODGER]

I did not miss that and it's why I dropped the bios and posted that he was also one of two "point persons" for the SEC. I almost bolded his name

I wasn’t pointing the finger at folks on this board. I was speaking specifically to people in the media. Seems relevant. Also seems like a good idea for ESPN to run thru the bios you posted in the initial CFP show or on GameDay. Get it out there in the open but it’s ESPN so we all know why they wouldn’t want to call attention at this point.

 

[Veritate Duce Progredi]

Ivan was on the committee. I agrre with Pete here

Funny how Gene couldn't hold off for just a moment:

 

[ShamrockOnHelmet]

Funny how Gene couldn't hold off for just a moment:

If you trust any “journalist” in 2025, you get what you deserve in life.

 

[TNUtoNotreDame]

If you trust any “journalist” in 2025, you get what you deserve in life.

Exactly

 

[jprue24]

I wasn’t pointing the finger at folks on this board. I was speaking specifically to people in the media. Seems relevant. Also seems like a good idea for ESPN to run thru the bios you posted in the initial CFP show or on GameDay. Get it out there in the open but it’s ESPN so we all know why they wouldn’t want to call attention at this point.

Oh no, this wasn't a shot, I was just mentioning it because I put about 10 minutes in to it, then quit.

 

[BoredIrish]

All sounds good..only question is how do we fill our schedule for the next few years. Finding 5 games a year will be tough

Let's say ND approaches the following schools for a H2h matchup:
Boston College, California, Duke, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, NC State, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest.

I'd be willing to bet that they could easily find 5 takers among that list... which puts ND no worse than the status quo.

 

[BoredIrish]

On top of the 4 million per team, the host gets cash from the CFP for the home game and gets to keep all the cash made from the event. Nice hit for the host.

The $4m per team is only for the 1st round. There is additional money for the teams that play subsequent games.

ND made $20m for making it to the NC.

 

[TNUtoNotreDame]

In the boards opinion what do you believe is happening behind the scenes ?

A. Pete regretting starting the whole thing and working to mend fences
B. Hoping it blows over and deploying the radio silence method
C. Preparing for war and buckling up
D. Looking at options and negotiating with outside conferences.
E. Add your own

 

[thekid33]

In the boards opinion what do you believe is happening behind the scenes ?

A. Pete regretting starting the whole thing and working to mend fences
B. Hoping it blows over and deploying the radio silence method
C. Preparing for war and buckling up
D. Looking at options and negotiating with outside conferences.
E. Add your own

My votes, in order:

1) D
2) C
3) A
4) B

 

[IrishLax]

In the boards opinion what do you believe is happening behind the scenes ?

A. Pete regretting starting the whole thing and working to mend fences
B. Hoping it blows over and deploying the radio silence method
C. Preparing for war and buckling up
D. Looking at options and negotiating with outside conferences.
E. Add your own

I think he had to say what he did, I think he regrets a bit of how he handled things. It would've been better to be more forceful in some areas, less forceful in others. I think he underestimated how ESPN would deploy a full out media blitz on ND for opting out of the bowl game.

I do not think any of this has any bearing on the end goal which is to get out of the ACC entirely -- for which he needs to build a case -- or in the absence of doing that to extract major concessions in the "arrangement." The ACC, by contrast, is in scramble mode to preserve themselves until congressional legislation might save them.

 

[Free Manera]

In the boards opinion what do you believe is happening behind the scenes ?

A. Pete regretting starting the whole thing and working to mend fences
B. Hoping it blows over and deploying the radio silence method
C. Preparing for war and buckling up
D. Looking at options and negotiating with outside conferences.
E. Add your own

Good discussion points I'm going to respond to each:

A. I don't think Pete/ND regrets starting the whole thing because they could not sit back and do nothing. ND got screwed partially because everyone thought they would "take the high road" aka puss out of doing or saying anything about it.

B. It easily could have blown over if ND just took the medicine. But then what would change?

C. I don't think full scale war is coming, because everyone likes money. ND is not going to be "freezed out" like that clown Wolken said because as soon as one conference freezes them out, and eliminates themself from the zero sum game that is ND conference affiliation, another will jump forward and say hey it's still warm here with us, let's talk about Olympic sports just for a second, just to see how it feels.

D. This is almost 100% what is happening. The ACC fucked up and they know it, which is why they are already making some concessions but trying not to appear guilty. Tirico described Bevacqua as the smartest guy in every room but he doesn't let you know it. He's got something brewing.

 

[IrishTusker]

The changes that will protect ND are (1) merit-based playoff bids (likely meaning no committee); and (2) expansion. My understanding is that the SEC wants (2) more than the other leagues. You can't simply refuse to work with the SEC/Sankey, even though they played a big role in screwing us. Maybe he doesn't want to push for scrapping the committee. After all, Swarbrick helped develop this system and clearly failed to see how it could end up harming ND.

As things stand now, CFP bids are based partly on merit and partly on money. Not playing the bowl game has a financial impact, even if that wasn't the reason we declined the bid. It puts stakeholders on notice that we plan to fight back in terms they understand.

The big error he made in the media tour was acting like the main problem is the "process" because it gave the impression that ND was in and then suddenly kept ND out. The weekly show is silly, of course, but it was clear after the penultimate show that we had good odds of getting hosed. And seeing the shift in the rankings (especially OU and Bama jumping us for no good reason) exposed that the rankings themselves are not about merit. But the main problem was that ND was not fairly ranked in the final ranking, and under-ranked relative to the AP poll, Coaches' poll, FPI, S&P+, Sagarin, etc. We were the highest ranked 10-2 team in all of those rankings, but the fourth ranked 10-2 team in the committee rankings. He should have pointed that out. He could have done so without explicitly saying that either OU or Bama should have been out, even though that is the obvious implication. Maybe he didn't want to upset the SEC, idk.

 

[Free Manera]

The changes that will protect ND are (1) merit-based playoff bids (likely meaning no committee); and (2) expansion. My understanding is that the SEC wants (2) more than the other leagues. You can't simply refuse to work with the SEC/Sankey, even though they played a big role in screwing us. Maybe he doesn't want to push for scrapping the committee. After all, Swarbrick helped develop this system and clearly failed to see how it could end up screwing ND.

As things stand now, CFP bids are based partly on merit and partly on money. Not playing the bowl game has a financial impact, even if that wasn't the reason we declined the bid. It puts stakeholders on notice that we plan to fight back in terms they understand.

Sankey is the only other commissioner that Bevacqua has been communicating with during all this. Sankey is a shark but Bevacqua is no minnow either. There is a reason they are buddying up but we can only speculate as to why.

 

[pumpdog20]

In the boards opinion what do you believe is happening behind the scenes ?

A. Pete regretting starting the whole thing and working to mend fences
B. Hoping it blows over and deploying the radio silence method
C. Preparing for war and buckling up
D. Looking at options and negotiating with outside conferences.
E. Add your own

B
A
D
C

Because what's the point if you're not willing to join a conference.
Just endure the short lived bad press, and move on to 2026. Because nothing meaningful is going to come from this other than our guys got screwed.

 

[Mike Petrik]

I think he had to say what he did, I think he regrets a bit of how he handled things. It would've been better to be more forceful in some areas, less forceful in others. I think he underestimated how ESPN would deploy a full out media blitz on ND for opting out of the bowl game.

I do not think any of this has any bearing on the end goal which is to get out of the ACC entirely -- for which he needs to build a case -- or in the absence of doing that to extract major concessions in the "arrangement." The ACC, by contrast, is in scramble mode to preserve themselves until congressional legislation might save them.

I don't think this ESPN blitz, assuming it is true, is working. The Athletic and Duke forums I frequent are pretty supportive of the decision to opt out of the bowl game, especially given the player sentiment. The commentariat hostility is far more focused on Pete's criticism of the ACC, which most folks see as a rather innocent party in a decision that favored an undeserving Alabama over the deserving Irish.

I also think most commentators fail to grasp your point that the criticism is shrewdly opportunistic. Pete has long been frustrated by the ACC's stubborn unwillingness to grant ND more input on conference scheduling so as to allow more Clemson and Miami and less Duke and Wake (as a Duke alum this attitude disappoints me, but it is sensible and I completely get it), and as a consequence he wants to set the table for an exit with a discounted buyout. Legalistic terms like "permanent damage" are not an accident. I suppose mileage will vary as to whether one thinks this tactic is a bit too disingenuous for comfort.

 

[NorthDakota]

I don't think this ESPN blitz, assuming it is true, is working. The Athletic and Duke forums I frequent are pretty supportive of the decision to opt out of the bowl game, especially given the player sentiment. The forum commentariat hostility is far more focused on Pete's criticism of the ACC, which most folks see as a rather innocent party in a decision that favored an undeserving Alabama over the Irish.

I also don't think most commentators grasp your point that the criticism is shrewdly opportunistic. Pete has long been frustrated by the ACC's stubborn unwillingness to grant ND more input on conference scheduling so as to allow more Clemson and Miami and less Duke and Wake, and as a consequence he wants to set the table for an exit with a discounted buyout. Legalistic terms like "permanent damage" are not an accident. I suppose mileage will vary as to whether one thinks this tactic is a bit too disingenuous for comfort.

I don't think it really worked either. My friends love giving me grief about anything Notre Dame football, but are relatively ND-friendly I think. I got grief after Miami, Texas A&M, and missing the playoffs. The latter is important here because the timing coincides with ND declining the bowl invite and the whole news cycle. These guys give me a hard time but when Notre Dame is winning and we are out at a bar or something they are supportive. Notre Dame wins? They enjoy. Notre Dame loses? They see me crash out and enjoy that too. None of them have said a word about declining the bowl game. It doesn't seem to matter to them at all.

The only people declining the bowl game mattered to were ESPN, BYU, and people who are already Notre Dame haters. There is a small portion of people maybe who are still nostalgic for bowl games to mean something again. But most people seem largely indifferent because...its just a bowl game.

 

[tirishman505]

I don't think it really worked either. My friends love giving me grief about anything Notre Dame football, but are relatively ND-friendly I think. I got grief after Miami, Texas A&M, and missing the playoffs. The latter is important here because the timing coincides with ND declining the bowl invite and the whole news cycle. These guys give me a hard time but when Notre Dame is winning and we are out at a bar or something they are supportive. Notre Dame wins? They enjoy. Notre Dame loses? They see me crash out and enjoy that too. None of them have said a word about declining the bowl game. It doesn't seem to matter to them at all.

The only people declining the bowl game mattered to were ESPN, BYU, and people who are already Notre Dame haters. There is a small portion of people maybe who are still nostalgic for bowl games to mean something again. But most people seem largely indifferent because...its just a bowl game.

Largely agree. Would only I add I saw a number of self-described "certified ball-knowers" that did a lot of huffing and puffing about "you drop the ball, you play" or "its a football game and football games are fun". This has some crossover with the haters but it looks to me like self-aggrandizement more than anything else.

 

[Mike Petrik]

Largely agree. Would only I add I saw a number of self-described "certified ball-knowers" that did a lot of huffing and puffing about "you drop the ball, you play" or "its a football game and football games are fun". This has some crossover with the haters but it looks to me like self-aggrandizement more than anything else.

The term "self-described" definitely seems to do the appropriate heavy-lifting here.
As for haters, they are inevitable with exceptional success and therefore best ignored. My Duke Blue Devils deal with plenty of that in round ball. But I do fear Pete's public complaints have created some new ones by appearing somewhat over-the-top and possibly misdirected. Just my opinion and might pass with a bit of time anyway though.

 

[thekid33]

I don't think it really worked either. My friends love giving me grief about anything Notre Dame football, but are relatively ND-friendly I think. I got grief after Miami, Texas A&M, and missing the playoffs. The latter is important here because the timing coincides with ND declining the bowl invite and the whole news cycle. These guys give me a hard time but when Notre Dame is winning and we are out at a bar or something they are supportive. Notre Dame wins? They enjoy. Notre Dame loses? They see me crash out and enjoy that too. None of them have said a word about declining the bowl game. It doesn't seem to matter to them at all.

The only people declining the bowl game mattered to were ESPN, BYU, and people who are already Notre Dame haters. There is a small portion of people maybe who are still nostalgic for bowl games to mean something again. But most people seem largely indifferent because...its just a bowl game.

Similar experience here. My Pedo St. buddy is giving me grief just to give me grief. But, in the next breathe he says that he agrees that ESPN has too much power and the bowl games are meaningless.

 

[TNUtoNotreDame]

Similar experience here. My Pedo St. buddy is giving me grief just to give me grief. But, in the next breathe he says that he agrees that ESPN has too much power and the bowl games are meaningless.

Hate for ND has been activated!!!!!

 

[FDNYIrish1]

The $4m per team is only for the 1st round. There is additional money for the teams that play subsequent games.

ND made $20m for making it to the NC.

I know that. Just pointing out that there’s more money to be made for hosting a game on top of the 4 million.

 

[tirishman505]

The term "self-described" definitely seems to do the appropriate heavy-lifting here.
As for haters, they are inevitable with exceptional success and therefore best ignored. My Duke Blue Devils deal with plenty of that in round ball. But I do fear Pete's public complaints have created some new ones by appearing somewhat over-the-top and possibly misdirected. Just my opinion and might pass with a bit of time anyway though.

It certainly caught a lot of people by surprise, including many ND fans. But we, the public, don't have a lot of tape on Pete. It's been suggested that this laying the legal groundwork for a break, either to actually separate from the ACC or to negotiate different terms. Which makes sense when you think about how past ND ADs have approached PR: rarely do they go off half-cocked. But who knows, people are people and don't behave as we expect sometimes.

I suspect ACC officials have a better read on what this means. I can say for certain that if Swarbrick where still at ND and had said the same thing that the war drums were definitely out.

 

[Fbolt]

If Pete didn't say anything, there'd just be RumInt in the background. By pointing out the committee's ludicrous and biased decision-making, ND is leading the charge for change. Leadership is exactly why most cheer for this University and the FB program. I applaud his stance and look forward to seeing how they'll screw ND the next time. Heck, it could even be more blatant next year. Nothing surprises me when it comes to money and big business.

 

[Punky]

The term "self-described" definitely seems to do the appropriate heavy-lifting here.
As for haters, they are inevitable with exceptional success and therefore best ignored. My Duke Blue Devils deal with plenty of that in round ball. But I do fear Pete's public complaints have created some new ones by appearing somewhat over-the-top and possibly misdirected. Just my opinion and might pass with a bit of time anyway though.

I think a lot of Pete's (i.e., ND's) ire is due to the ACC's singular desire to compare Miami to ND, to denigrate Notre Dame in the eyes of the committee, and not to point out that FSU, another ACC team, had beaten Alabama, who was also in contention for the same spots. As an ACC guy, what is your take on why the ACC did not attempt to point out Alabama's flaws, and focused solely on getting Miami in ahead of ND? Why not try to get both Miami and ND in? A rising tide lifts all boats, yes? The reason appears to me, as an ND guy, that ESPN, who controls the media rights to the SEC and ACC, but not Notre Dame, was making a back room deal with those two conferences to pump up their media properties. Perhaps you can share your Duke/ACC perspective here.

 

[Mike Petrik]

It certainly caught a lot of people by surprise, including many ND fans. But we, the public, don't have a lot of tape on Pete. It's been suggested that this laying the legal groundwork for a break, either to actually separate from the ACC or to negotiate different terms. Which makes sense when you think about how past ND ADs have approached PR: rarely do they go off half-cocked. But who knows, people are people and don't behave as we expect sometimes.

I suspect ACC officials have a better read on what this means. I can say for certain that if Swarbrick where still at ND and had said the same thing that the war drums were definitely out.

Yeah, that is my take. Pete is obviously disappointed in how the ACC partnership is working out, but a $50MM+ buyout is unappealing. The recent ranting is more about taking advantage of an opportunity to plausibly accuse the ACC of some type of bad faith facilitating a negotiation for better terms or a discounted buyout than a genuine accusation of a conspiracy involving the ACC. Of course, I could be completely wrong. The accusation could be both sincere and legit. I'm just skeptical because there are too many reasons why the alleged misbehavior is inimical to the ACC's own self-interest.

The most likely explanation for this mess -- and it is a mess since ND deserved a spot -- is simply that the Committee was committed to inviting Alabama no matter what it did against Georgia, and there was nothing either the ACC or ND could do about it. The ACC's advocacy for its own member was inevitable, and no one was more unhappy that it had to be at ND's expense than the ACC. In the end Miami's claim was as legit as ND's. Alabama was the fly in the ointment.

The selection process is obviously very imperfect, but I'm not 100% certain there was any actual bad faith or misbehavior, but if there was it would seem to have SEC fingerprints rather than ACC fingerprints. Pete is smart and sophisticated and knows this, which is why I suspect he is being shrewdly opportunistic here. As I've said before, he has repeatedly complained about the ACC's stubborn unwillingness to give ND more influence in scheduling (more FSU/Clemson/Miami and less Duke/Wake/NCSU) and understandably so. My guess is that Pete sees this as an opportunity to secure leverage for either a more beneficial deal or a discounted exit fee. But heck, I'm married so well aware I could be 100% wrong.

 

[ulukinatme]

Ivan was on the committee. I agrre with Pete here

Mmmm....I dunno. On one hand, it's nice to promote Leahy and the university. On the other hand, I'm not crazy about giving money to a guy that could have potentially cost us multi-millions and a legit chance at another trophy. Maybe show me your dance card and how you voted for final determination
[EDIT] Apparently Freeman wrote a foreword for his book and as a result Ivan had the CFP recuse him when it came to voting for ND. That kinda sucks, probably hurt us more than anything not having that vote, but whatever. I guess he's okay.