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Desmond Howard signs up with “SportsCenter” to break down whether Riley Leonard's run video game or pass video game will be more crucial to Notre Dame's success vs. OSU Monday night. (1:09)
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Heather Dinich, Senior College Football InsiderJan 18, 2025, 01:44 PM ET
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ATLANTA– Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua stated the independent Irish are comfy continuing to quit access to a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff– something presently approved to just the 4 highest-ranked conference champs– as long as the fate of championship game video games stays the very same.
“We're comfy that if conference champion video games continue as they're presently set up, part of the offer we made is that we would not get a bye, and that's reasonable,” Bevacqua stated Saturday, speaking to a little group of press reporters at the nationwide champion video game media schedule at the Georgia World Congress. “And rather honestly, I would not trade that [first-round] Indiana video game at Notre Dame Stadium for anything worldwide, however you likewise need to be clever and tactical, and your chances of making a championship game video game are increased if you get to play one less video game.
“So I believe a lot is going to depend upon the fate of the championship game video games,” he stated. “Should they disappear? Which's undoubtedly not my choice. Should they be changed in some sort of product method where it's not the leading 2 groups playing for a champion, however something else? I believe we definitely have to re-look at Notre Dame's capability to get a bye if we end up being one of the leading 4 groups.”
Bevacqua's remarks come as he and the FBS commissioners prepare to fulfill Sunday to start their evaluation of the inaugural 12-team field, which will produce a nationwide champ on Monday with the winner of Ohio State vs. Notre Dame.
Bevacqua becomes part of the CFP's management committee, which is likewise consisted of the 10 FBS commissioners entrusted with figuring out the format and guidelines of the playoff to ultimately send out to the 11 presidents and chancellors on the CFP board for their approval. The commissioners and Bevacqua will have a 90-minute service conference to begin to go over possible modifications for the 2025 season, which would need unanimity, leaving lots of CFP sources hesitant that next season will look much various.
Bevacqua stated he believes “there's an opportunity” the group might settle on a modification to the seeding, however one choice that has actually been drifted by sources with understanding of the conversations is having the committee's leading 4 groups make the leading 4 seeds– which unlocks for Notre Dame to make a first-round bye without playing in a championship game video game.
