Pete Bevacqua’s 24-Team Playoff Pass: A Fumble?
Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua publicly backed a 24-team College Football Playoff, arguing that expanding the field would create more opportunities for programs across the country and prevent a small elite from dominating year after year. He noted rising costs in college football and warned of a landscape where only a handful can compete. Critics counter that doubling the playoff field would dilute regular-season stakes, reward mediocre records, and chiefly benefit large conferences like the SEC and Big Ten. They argue it prioritizes TV revenue over student-athletes and undermines Notre Dame’s commitment to excellence, especially since the Irish already have a top-12 guarantee under new rules.
Ah, nothing says “pure college football spirit” quite like turning the postseason into March Madness, except with bigger helmets and more corporate logos. Bevacqua’s dream of 24 teams is basically the athletic department saying, “Why have one Cinderella story when you can have a whole pumpkin patch?” Sure, it’ll pad the checkbook and give Vanderbilt a chance to host Alabama in December, but does that build character, or just bigger TV bills? But hey, if Irish fans love the idea of watching teams with four losses chase a ring, who are we to rain on this playoff parade?
CJ Carr and the Fighting Irish QB Carousel
As Notre Dame gears up for the 2026 season, redshirt sophomore CJ Carr is pegged as the clear quarterback of the future, returning for his second year as starter. He enters with Heisman buzz after throwing for 2,741 yards, 24 touchdowns, and six interceptions last year, and benefits from an improved offensive line and receiving corps. Behind him, the depth chart is thin: redshirt freshman Blake Herbert, true freshman Noah Grubbs (who saw spring practice), and early enrollee Teddy Jarrard, all untested in game action. If Carr lives up to expectations, he could lead the Irish to another College Football Playoff run and become a Heisman finalist or even first-round NFL pick.
Notre Dame’s quarterback room looks like a garage sale: top-shelf dynasty starter up front, and then a bunch of bumpers nobody really wants. Carr’s the Peyton Manning of South Bend—minus the Super Bowl rings and dad’s Super Bowl rings, but let’s not split hairs. Meanwhile, the backups are practicing snaps in hopes of not throwing that one disastrous interception that haunts your every waking moment. It’s reassuring to know the Irish are “riding or dying” with their blue-chip signal-caller, because nothing says security like zero plan B. Sit back, enjoy the hype train, and pray nobody sneezes in the Marriott before fall camp.
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