Pete Bevacqua stood within the din of the cavernous Georgia World Congress Middle final month, about 48 hours from kickoff of the nationwide championship sport. Behind Notre Dame’s athletic director, Marcus Freeman was mobbed throughout media day, which was predictable for a 39-year-old coach on the prime of the game. Bevacqua was barely extra nameless, which was wholesome, if not indicative.
Since taking up for former athletic director Jack Swarbrick in full final March, Bevacqua has overseen Notre Dame’s males’s lacrosse successful a second nationwide title and the groundbreaking of Shields Corridor, which is able to turn into Notre Dame soccer’s new operations heart subsequent yr. He’s prolonged Freeman on a profitable six-year deal that makes him among the many highest-paid coaches within the sport. And there’s the brand new NBC contract, which helps fund the soccer workforce’s independence. He’s additionally steered Notre Dame into the switch portal and title, picture and likeness, vital actual property if soccer needs to make runs via the School Soccer Playoff the usual.
And that’s precisely how Bevacqua sees it.
“This isn’t a one and finished,” Bevacqua stated. “This needs to be the brand new regular for us.”
Notre Dame went a dozen years between taking part in for a nationwide title in soccer, from the blowout by Alabama in January 2013 to the loss to Ohio State in January 2025. It’s been 36 seasons for the reason that Irish went all the best way, the longest drought in class historical past. As a lot because it’s Freeman’s job to finish that circuit, it’s on Bevacqua to offer Notre Dame’s coach the wiring to take action.
A cynic may recommend an athletic director’s job is to take away each excuse a soccer coach has for not successful. And there’s some fact to that. However at Notre Dame, the athletic director’s job is to ensure anybody above him on the org chart understands what it takes to get there. And on that entrance, Freeman has supplied Bevacqua proof of idea, with a 14-2 file in his third season grabbing maintain of the college’s consideration at massive.
Pete Bevacqua has been Notre Dame’s athletic director since final March. (Brett Davis / Imagn Photos)
Typically, Bevacqua will begin workers conferences with the Rev. Ted Hesburgh quote, “There isn’t a educational advantage in taking part in mediocre soccer.” He sees no purpose for Notre Dame to draw back from soccer success. Bevacqua talks about “alignment” usually, a buzzword Brian Kelly wore out whereas explaining his transfer to LSU three years in the past. And but, it feels correct round Notre Dame as we speak, from the board of trustees to college president the Rev. Bob Dowd to Bevacqua to Freeman.
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“I don’t assume anyone shies away from the truth that Notre Dame soccer is admittedly necessary to Notre Dame. And {that a} rising tide lifts all ships,” Bevacqua stated. “In the event you’re strolling round South Bend or Beijing and you’ve got that ND on, folks know what it’s. That has quite a bit to do with the popularity of the college, but it surely additionally has quite a bit to do with the historical past of this soccer program.”
If Swarbrick was the suitable athletic director on the proper time, employed in 2008 as convention realignment started to dominate the game, Bevacqua seems like the best follow-up. A background because the chairman of NBC Sports activities offers Bevacqua working data of the subsequent nice mover in faculty sports activities as the subject of media rights dominates the dialog.
Other than the Home settlement and NIL, the most important story this offseason so far is likely to be the ACC’s extension with ESPN and the way Notre Dame matches into it, probably taking part in extra typically in opposition to Clemson, Miami and Florida State. That’s a aggressive story, but it surely could possibly be a media rights one, too: Notre Dame serving to the ACC create extra marquee stock that may assist the league’s greater manufacturers stand out.
“There may be chaos. In the event you take a look at the historical past of chaos, robust entities get stronger throughout chaotic occasions. I believe Notre Dame is a really robust entity,” Bevacqua stated. “I don’t assume our college has ever been stronger when it comes to our popularity. I believe we’re financially safe. We all know who we’re.”
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Bevacqua is comfy with how Freeman has constructed the roster, pulling all levers out there amongst highschool recruiting and portal acquisition. The Irish wouldn’t have made it to the CFP’s end line with out each, from quarterback Riley Leonard (Duke) to defensive again Jordan Clark (Arizona State) to returner Jayden Harrison (Marshall) to kicker Mitch Jeter (South Carolina). Freeman talks about majoring in highschool recruiting. And that’s true. He’s additionally made the dean’s checklist in his minor, if that’s how portal acquisitions must be seen.
Notre Dame has eight incoming transfers for subsequent season, together with huge receiver Malachi Fields (Virginia) and defensive deal with Jared Dawson (Louisville). That group additionally consists of defensive deal with Elijah Hughes (USC), a uncommon undergraduate switch for a program that’s subsisted primarily on grad transfers to this point.
With that mixed with Notre Dame’s Rally NIL collective going in-house and Notre Dame planning to completely fund the income sharing anticipated to return with the Home settlement — that’s a $20.5 million expense — Bevacqua believes Notre Dame has every thing to make Playoff runs an everyday factor. And to possibly get Notre Dame over the end line with Freeman in cost.
“We’re going to maintain our foot on the fuel and hopefully be right here much more typically,” Bevacqua stated. “I imagine we’ve got the proper coach for Notre Dame. What Marcus does on the sector and off the sector, he’s accepting every thing that Notre Dame is.
“You don’t wish to play Notre Dame soccer to do exactly OK or be revered. We wish to win nationwide championships. So I actually do assume we’re all in, supplied it’s nonetheless a student-athlete expertise.”
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(High picture: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Photos)
