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Newsstand: Notre Dame AD Pete Bevacqua strongly supports football independence

IMG_7504by:Jack Soble•03/29/24•

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Notre Dame AD Pete Bevacqua
Notre Dame athletics director Pete Bevacqua. (Greg Swiercz / USA TODAY NETWORK)

Notre Dame’s independence is a hot-button issue in college football, particularly with the major conferences in constant flux. But on Thursday, new Irish athletics director Pete Bevacqua reaffirmed his and the University’s support for the status quo.

Bevacqua told ESPN senior writer Heather Dinich that the school’s leadership feels “as secure as ever” in its independence.

“We are now in as good of a position as we’ve ever been in the modern era of college football to be independent,” Bevacqua told Dinich. “You see all the conference realignment, you see everything that’s happened, I think our position as being independent in football quite frankly is certainly more unique than ever, but also more valuable than ever.”

Bevacqua also spoke highly of Notre Dame’s relationship with the Atlantic Coast Conference, its revenue situation as it pertains to the College Football Playoff and its chances to reach the highest level of the sport for the first time since 1988.

“We know that is a key priority of ours, not only to stay relevant, but quite frankly to win a national championship and be the best,” Bevacqua said.

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Quote of the day

“I said, ‘Audric, is there anything during your interviews that you weren’t ready for? Let me know so I can prepare the next guys.’ It ain’t like I haven’t been in the NFL. It ain’t like it was 20 years ago. He said, ‘Coach, I was overprepared. There wasn’t one thing that came up that I wasn’t prepared for. Actually, I was kind of overprepared. I had so many more bullets in the chamber as far as knowledge is concerned.’ I’m here to give them my best shot, and that’s what I’m going to give him.”

— Notre Dame running backs coach Deland McCullough on his recent conversation with former Irish running back Audric Estimé

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