Notre Dame Athletic Director Criticizes ACC After Playoff Snub

Pete Bevacqua, the athletic director for Notre Dame, expressed his disappointment, claiming the ACC had “pulled the rug out from under us” after the college football playoff selection revealed Notre Dame’s exclusion.

During an interview on “The Dan Patrick Show,” he voiced his frustrations, noting that he had expected the Irish to qualify based on the criteria provided to him.

“From the beginning of the rankings, we felt optimistic about our chances,” Bevacqua stated. He emphasized Notre Dame’s impressive ten-game winning streak that followed a rocky 0-2 start. “It’s not that we have issues with any individual schools in the ACC. Yet, it is baffling to see the conference undermine its largest revenue partner in football, and indeed, its members in other sports.”

He also mentioned feeling embarrassed by the conference’s decision, claiming it had damaged the relationship between Notre Dame and the ACC.

“Honestly, they’ve done lasting damage,” he said. When pressed for clarification, Bevacqua asserted that the ACC had been “taking shots” at Notre Dame.

He elaborated on this by saying, “The ongoing comparisons to Miami were particularly confusing. Miami can advocate for itself, but the conference’s approach was off-putting.”

Bevacqua voiced his unease with the selection process for the playoffs. “Throughout this journey, we were assured that our contributions would lead to a favorable outcome, and we certainly delivered,” he noted, as Notre Dame had won its last ten games by large margins.

“We’re really confused, upset, and frustrated,” he admitted.

When discussing the future of Notre Dame’s relationship with the ACC, he remained cautious but hopeful: “While I’m not saying it’s irreparable, this incident has certainly caught our attention. We will navigate through this and shift our focus to next season.”

Notably, Miami, ranked tenth, secured the last at-large spot, placing one spot ahead of Notre Dame.

2025 College Football Playoff Schedule

Round 1

• Dec. 19, 8 p.m. ET, No. 9 Alabama vs. No. 8 Oklahoma
• Dec. 20, 12:00 p.m. ET, No. 10 Miami vs. No. 7 Texas A&M
• Dec. 20, 3:30 p.m. ET, No. 11 Tulane vs. No. 6 Ole Miss
• No. 12 James Madison vs. No. 5 Oregon, Dec. 20 at 7:30 p.m. ET

Quarterfinals

• No. 10 Miami/No. 7 Texas A&M vs. No. 2 Ohio State, Dec. 31, 7:30 p.m. ET
• No. 12 James Madison/No. 5 Oregon State vs. No. 4 Texas Tech, Jan. 1, 12:00 p.m. ET
• No. 9 Alabama/No. 8 Oklahoma vs. No. 1 Indiana, Jan. 1 at 4 p.m. ET
• No. 11 Tulane/No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 3 Georgia, Jan. 1, 8 p.m. ET

The Hurricanes will face No. 7 Texas A&M in the playoff’s first round.

In light of the recent developments, Notre Dame has withdrawn from its partnership with the ACC for the upcoming Poptarts Bowl and will conclude its season. Starting next season, if Irish players are ranked within the top 12 by the committee, they can expect guaranteed spots in the CFP, as noted in a recent agreement.

Bevacqua is expected to address the media at a press conference on Tuesday at noon (Eastern time).