Podcast Summary: The Dan Patrick Show

Episode: Hour 3 – Rick Neuheisel, Notre Dame Snub
Date: December 8, 2025
Host: Dan Patrick
Notable Guests: Rick Neuheisel (CBS College Football Analyst), Pete Bevacqua (Notre Dame Athletic Director)

Overview

This episode dives deep into the controversy surrounding Notre Dame's exclusion from the College Football Playoff (CFP), examines broader issues around bowl games and playoff expansion, and features incisive perspectives from CBS analyst Rick Neuheisel and Notre Dame AD Pete Bevacqua. The conversation also touches on shifting power dynamics in college football, fan reactions, and future changes for the sport.

Dan and the Danettes (his co-hosts) facilitate a lively, open discussion, mixing in listener calls and their trademark humor and candor.

Key Topics & Insights

1. Weekend NFL Recap and Lead-in (03:12–07:39)

• Dan Patrick quickly summarizes notable NFL results, including key upset losses (Colts, Chiefs, Bengals, Buccaneers, Ravens) and the surging Green Bay Packers.
• Discussion of the importance of handling "business" in pro sports, singling out pivotal games looking back at the season.
• Light banter about frosty postgame handshakes and coaching rivalries, notably between Bears’ Ben Johnson and Packers’ Matt LaFleur.

2. College Football Playoff Controversy: Notre Dame’s Snub (07:39–14:38)

• Rick Neuheisel joins to dissect the CFP selection committee's rationale:
  • He highlights the committee’s inconsistent treatment of Notre Dame and Miami, calling the situation a sign it’s "time for a change."

    “For six weeks we were told that Notre Dame was better than Miami…to do it for six weeks and then choose the week after neither one played to make the adjustment, that to me is time for a change.” – Rick Neuheisel (08:07)

• Neuheisel predicts bowl games may eventually move to the start of the season to ensure meaningful matchups given growing player opt-outs.

  “I think bowl games are going to end up being the first game of the year.” – Rick Neuheisel (09:05)

• He expects the CFP will expand beyond 16 to possibly 24 teams, supplanting traditional conference championship games with “play-in” matchups.
• Criticism of the CFP committee’s lack of transparency and communication.

  “These shows to me ought to be one show, the last one…They don’t do a very good job explaining themselves.” – Rick Neuheisel (11:09)

3. Spotlight on Indiana & Playoff Expansion (12:40–15:01)

• Neuheisel lauds Indiana and Coach Signetti for their remarkable turnaround from the historically “losingest” program to national title contender.

  “Let’s just stop and admire the work done. It is phenomenal…it is out of this world.” – Rick Neuheisel (12:55)

• Discusses which teams are true contenders (seven, maybe eight).
• Suggests the answer to every playoff format question is "money."

4. Fan Calls & Debates – Bowl Games, Expansion, and Transparency (34:21–39:40)

• Callers voice frustrations and philosophies: some argue four playoff teams is enough, others push for more, referencing the FCS model.
• Lively debate about the diminishing relevance and fairness of conference championships.

  “It is the dumbest thing in the world, but it generates money. And that’s all they care about. That’s all the playoff is about.” – Dan Patrick (32:50)

• Callers and hosts highlight the lack of meritocracy and transparency in CFP decisions, likening it to changing the rules mid-game.

5. Notre Dame’s Perspective: Interview with Pete Bevacqua (22:37–28:09)

• Notre Dame AD Pete Bevacqua addresses the snub and fallout with the ACC:

  “They have certainly done permanent damage to the relationship between the conference and Notre Dame.” – Pete Bevacqua (24:54)

• Claims the ACC’s public campaign against Notre Dame, not Miami’s, soured relations.
• Details why Notre Dame declined to play in a bowl: lack of stakes, expected opt-outs, focus on next season, and player well-being.

  “We can’t imagine taking the field not as that team…It just wouldn’t be the same.” – Pete Bevacqua (26:43)

• Suggests that the bowl system and playoff expansion are intertwined, with larger playoffs giving a reason for players to participate post-regular season.

6. Recurring Theme: Money Drives Everything

• Both Neuheisel and the Danettes return frequently to the idea that financial motivations override tradition or meritocracy in college football’s structure.

7. Possible Futures for the Sport

• Expanded playoffs (16 or 24 teams), fewer traditional bowl games.
• Bowl games potentially moving to season-openers to ensure quality/participation.
• More transparency and standardized rules demanded by fans and institutional leaders.

Notable Quotes

• Rick Neuheisel:

  • “Bowl games are going to end up being the first game of the year.” (09:05)
  • “Ultimately [the committee has] to answer...these shows to me ought to be one show, the last one.” (11:09)

• Dan Patrick:

  • “It is the dumbest thing in the world, but it generates money. And that’s all they care about. That’s all the playoff is about.” (32:50)
  • “[Notre Dame] just wanted to know, wait, what happened here?...Help us understand this here.” (39:40)

• Pete Bevacqua (Notre Dame AD):

  • “[The ACC] certainly did permanent damage to the relationship between the conference and Notre Dame.” (24:54)
  • “We can't imagine taking the field not as that team...It just wouldn’t be the same.” (26:43)

Listener Reactions (34:21–50:57)

• Fans split on the right number of playoff teams; some defend four, others push for FCS-style expansion.
• Frustration over inconsistency (“Why are we playing the games if wins and losses don’t matter?” – Ted in Nevada, 47:35)
• Critiques of the playoff selection process and the growing irrelevance of certain post-season structures.
• Support and sympathy for Notre Dame's position, some call for a new model altogether.

Critical Moments & Timestamps

• 07:40 – Rick Neuheisel on CFP’s Notre Dame/Miami problem
• 09:05 – Bold prediction: bowl games move to start of season
• 11:09 – Calls out the committee for poor communication
• 12:55 – Praise for Indiana and Coach Signetti
• 24:54 – Notre Dame AD Bevacqua on strained ACC relationship
• 26:43 – Why Notre Dame declined their bowl game
• 32:50 & 39:40 – Dan Patrick, money and transparency rants
• 47:35 – Fan: "Why are we playing the games if wins and losses don’t matter?"

Tone & Style

• The tone is candid, sometimes sardonic, and always passionate. Dan and his co-hosts are blunt about hypocrisy in college football but keep the atmosphere light with banter and humor.
• Guests express both nostalgia for old traditions and realistic acknowledgment of change, especially Neuheisel’s pragmatic outlook on money’s influence.
• Listener calls add heartfelt, authentic perspectives, alternating between frustration, pride, and resignation toward the sport’s present and future.

Summary for Non-Listeners

If you missed this hour, you missed an unflinching look at college football’s current chaos, especially the fallout from Notre Dame’s playoff snub. Dan Patrick and his guests dissect how financial interests are undermining tradition and transparency, why playoff expansion seems inevitable, and how relationships between programs and conferences are being reshaped in real time. Notably, Notre Dame's AD shares the program’s emotional response to exclusion and details the reasons behind skipping their bowl game, reinforcing the need for reform.

This episode is essential listening for anyone trying to understand the crossroads at which college football finds itself in 2025.