Notre Dame AD Pete Bevacqua: ‘16 teams is the answer’ for CFP

Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua made his stance clear on Friday, believing the College Football Playoff needs expansion, and fast. Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show, Bevacqua strongly endorsed a 16-team postseason format, saying the sport is overwhelmingly ready to move beyond the newly implemented 12-team field.

Bevacqua revealed that, inside the room where CFP discussions take place, there is “almost unanimity” about pushing the field to 16 teams with five automatic qualifiers and 11 at-large bids. For him, the benefits are obvious, and it all circles back to a better and more fair product for players and fans alike.

“I think if we were at 16 teams right now, I think it would be perfect,” Bevacqua said. “These conversations are great. They’re interesting. But you think about a Notre Dame team. … I think we have absolutely the best player in the country in Jeremyiah Love.

“I haven’t seen somebody this electrifying since Reggie Bush and before that, the Rocket here at Notre Dame (Rocket Ismail). 16 teams is the answer. Five automatic, 11 at-large. And I hope we get there sooner than later.”

Alas, Bevacqua’s comments come at a time when the sport has been consumed by debates over résumés, conference championships and the vast inconsistencies in a subjective ranking system. Notre Dame, sitting just outside the top tier while riding a ten-game win streak, is one of several teams caught in the crossfire this year.

Continuing, Kirk Herbstreit, joining the conversation, echoed Bevacqua’s sentiment, arguing that fans don’t want politics or procedural gymnastics determining postseason access. They simply want the best teams.

“Fans of the sport don’t want politics on the selection of the teams,” Herbstreit added. “Give us the next best 11, because I think right now, it seems like we’re trying to make everybody happy. It’s nothing against the Group of Five. It’s more about, let’s just stack up the best teams. That’s all we want..”

Moreover, Bevacqua highlighted issues with the current conference-championship structure. He used Miami as an example. They’re a talented 10-2 team, but they’ve been left out of its league title game due to tiebreakers. He argued that the system should not eliminate top contenders before the playoff conversation even begins.

“Miami should be playing in their conference championship for a chance to win that conference, with as talented a team as they are,” he said. “I think corrections can be made. But as it relates to the CFP, I think 16 teams is the answer. … There’s overwhelming momentum to try to get that done.”

The push for expansion appears to be gaining traction from both administrators and broadcasters alike. If Bevacqua’s comments are any indication, the next evolution of the CFP may be closer than most think.