Hour 3 – Sign-off from South Bend, Pete Bevacqua

Summary

The Dan Patrick Show

Episode: Hour 3 – Sign-off from South Bend, Pete Bevacqua
Date: October 17, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode of The Dan Patrick Show comes live from South Bend, Indiana, wrapping up Dan and the crew's visit to Notre Dame. The episode blends in-studio banter and classic Dan Patrick humor with a significant interview with Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua. Central themes include the enduring mystique of Notre Dame, the shifting landscape of college football, storied rivalries, and the future of the College Football Playoff. The crew dives deep into college football culture, game atmosphere, and contemporary issues facing programs and athletic departments. As always, the show is energetic, irreverent, and insightful.

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Key Themes and Discussion Points

1. The Notre Dame Experience & College Football Atmosphere

• Dan and the Danettes reminisce about their first Notre Dame experiences, the unique stadium feel, and the iconic gold helmets.
• The "meat Friday" tradition continues on set, with the crew enjoying grilling and reflecting on nostalgia, fan culture, and legendary coaches.

Notable Quotes

• Dan Patrick on the stadium:

  "You go in, it's not as large as you think it is. You know, before the renovation… But on TV it looked huge." (07:05)

• Paulie Fusco on Notre Dame's stadium:

  "It's a much cleaner college football experience. Back when I was younger, when everyone else had jumbotrons, they didn't… You got to focus to the game." (06:45)

2. Coaching Stability, Contracts, and the Nature of Pressure

• The crew discusses the unstable nature of coaching tenures, new contracts, expectations, and quick turnarounds in modern college football, referencing Marcus Freeman, Ryan Day, and Lane Kiffin.

Notable Quotes

• Dan Patrick:

  "It’s what have you done for me lately? And if I’m paying you $11 million at Indiana, you better be great... It’s not just, 'Hey, thank you for making us not, you know, an embarrassment.' It’s, 'We want to be competing for a title here.'" (09:38)

3. The “Most Must-Win Game of the Weekend” Roundtable (MMW-GOTW)

Each Danette makes their pick for the most pivotal upcoming football matchup, highlighting teams under pressure and key playoff implications.

Picks Include:

• Paulie Fusco: Georgia Tech at Duke
• Marvin: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Vikings
• Todd: Bears vs. Saints
• Seaton: Syracuse vs. Pitt (emphasis on bowl eligibility pressure)

Notable Quotes

• Seaton (Bridget Todd) on Syracuse:

  "If they want to get into a bowl game, they absolutely have to beat Pitt this weekend." (13:34)

4. Most Impactful Game So Far (MIGOTSSF)

A lively debate on which recent NFL game has shifted the playoff race most significantly, with references to the Steelers, Bengals, Patriots, and Bills.

Notable Quotes

• Dan Patrick, clarifying the stakes:

  "That’s the most impactful game of the season so far? ...It totally opens up the division." (15:11)

5. Fun with Football Fashion & Merch

• Nostalgic discussion of player shoulder pads and uniform evolution over decades.
• Debating the merits (and curses) of "capri pants" for coaches at pressers, especially Miami’s Mike McDaniel.

Notable Quotes

• Paulie Fusco:

  "Combined capri pants equal losses. Everyone knows that." (17:35)

• Bridget Todd:

  "I love Mike McDaniel. Everything that he does... I wish that he was a little more like, protected his quarterbacks... but in terms of his style... that’s my guy." (17:45)

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Feature Interview: Pete Bevacqua, Notre Dame Athletic Director

[Starts at 25:47]

Entering, Gifts, and Banter

• Pete brings out the new Notre Dame hockey jersey and performance review jokes about being Dan’s former boss at NBC:

  "I think he was my boss at NBC at one point, although I never saw him." – Dan (25:17)
  "I thought you did a really good job." – Pete (26:40)

Power, Independence, and the State of College Football

• Dan frames Pete as one of the top three influencers in college football, alongside the SEC and Big Ten commissioners. Pete humbly defers, attributing influence to Notre Dame’s legacy, not himself:

  "It's not me. It's Notre Dame... I'm the caretaker of that. You know, and I couldn't be more honored..." – Pete (27:21)

• Explains his unique role as "caretaker" with a responsibility to Notre Dame’s independence, tradition, and the future of college football.

  "Notre Dame believes in being independent in this space... and it's a great privilege to be in that room." – Pete (27:21)

Super-Leagues and the Future Playoff Model

• Dan asks about an NFL/Premier League model as an inevitability. Pete is strongly against "mini-NFLs," calling them a "horrible mistake":

  "College football is not the NFL. We shouldn't be the NFL. We're something different. We're something that's special." (28:46)

• On the danger of lost traditions and rivalries:

  "We won't look like the NFL. We'll look like a small version, a compromised version of the NFL, and we'll lose what's so special." (29:13)

Notre Dame–USC Rivalry and Scheduling Challenges

• Dan raises the danger that realignment and scheduling changes might end the iconic ND–USC series.
• Pete is optimistic:

  "We've had a lot of positive conversations with USC... We want to keep this series going. It's so special. It's... great for Notre Dame. I think it’s great for USC. And maybe most importantly, I think it's great for college football." (29:48)

• Continues on the negotiation required to keep the rivalry alive amidst conference expansion and scheduling constraints:

  "USC would like to play our game earlier in the season. So I'm working hand in hand... where could we position this game so it’s a win-win for us... I'm hopeful, I'm optimistic." (31:47)

Independence vs. Joining a Conference

• Dan prods about joining the Big Ten for more consistent rivalries (like Michigan). Pete firmly reiterates independence as their "unicorn" status, crediting Notre Dame's NBC partnership and national scheduling as key benefits (34:31).

• "To be independent, you have to be good. And we know that." (35:38)

The College Football Playoff and Expansion

• Dan asks Pete for a hypothetical vote:

  "If you had the deciding vote of expanding the playoffs from 12 to, let's say, 16, 100% answer?" (36:05)

• Pete is emphatic:

  "In my opinion, 16 teams is the way we should go. Five automatic qualifiers... 11 at large. Prove it on the field." (36:12)

Uniforms and Merchandise

• Dan probes about uniform approvals and specialty jerseys. Pete credits Coach Marcus Freeman for his sense of style and Under Armour for creative collaborations.

  "We see the gold helmet as sacrosanct. I don’t think we’re going to monkey around with the helmets anymore." (39:10)

• On Notre Dame’s merchandising muscle:

  "We're lucky we have such a great, passionate, national, international fan base. That Notre Dame logo... people know what it is. It means something." (40:35)

Ending with a Light Note

• A joking request for an honorary degree and praise for the hospitality in South Bend.
• Pete:

  "Well, we're thrilled you're here. I love the show personally." (41:54)

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Memorable Banter and Listener Favorites

• Rhyme Time Game returns (42:46). The crew plays a rapid-fire wordplay game—"Lucky Ducky," "Spring Fling," "Max Facts," etc.
• Behind-the-scenes gratitude is expressed to staff and Notre Dame liaisons, with special mention for their director overcoming a family tragedy to deliver the live broadcast (45:18).
• ’What We Learned’ wraps the episode, including running jokes about academic regrets and the persistent Notre Dame study culture (45:46).
• Closing poll:

  "How long will Kurt Signetti’s contract last?" – Majority says under four years (47:43).

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Time-Stamped Highlights

• 03:12 — Dan and crew live from Notre Dame, discussing the stadium and football culture.
• 05:35 — Paulie recalls his childhood Notre Dame game; talk of classic stadiums and helmets.
• 09:38 — College football's quick turnover, "what have you done for me lately" attitude.
• 11:45 — “Most Must-Win Game” picks for the college football weekend are debated.
• 15:00 — Determining the most impactful NFL game of the season so far.
• 17:10 — Nostalgic debate on football fashions and capri pants for coaches.
• 25:47 — Interview with Notre Dame AD Pete Bevacqua begins.
• 28:46 — Bevacqua explains his opposition to college football “Super Leagues.”
• 29:48 — Deep dive on preserving the Notre Dame–USC rivalry.
• 36:12 — Bevacqua calls for a 16-team playoff with clear qualifiers.
• 39:10 — Notre Dame uniform traditions and merchandising power discussed.
• 42:46 — “Rhyme Time” comedy segment delights live audience.
• 45:18 — Show staff gratitude and emotional behind-the-scenes details.
• 47:43 — Poll results and what the crew learned today; lighthearted academic regrets close the episode.

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Final Thoughts

This jam-packed episode beautifully blends sports insight, institutional pride, television nostalgia, and trademark Dan Patrick wit. The feature with Pete Bevacqua lends clarity to Notre Dame’s traditions, ambitions, and place in the rapidly changing college football world. For fans of college sports and media, it’s an essential listen—by turns hilarious, nostalgic, and thought-provoking.

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Sample Standout Quote

“Notre Dame believes in being independent in this space... and it's a great privilege to be in that room. I love being in that room. I love being a part of those conversations... We have to stay relevant. We have to knock on that national championship door year in and year out, because to stay independent, we have to be impossible to ignore.”
— Pete Bevacqua, 27:21 & 35:38

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For listeners who missed it: This episode is an ideal entry point for those interested in college football’s future, Notre Dame’s enduring mystique, and the dynamic behind-the-scenes world that keeps Saturday traditions alive.

Transcript

[Bridget Todd]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Paulie Fusco]

Hello, America's sweetheart. Johnny Knoxville here. I want to tell you about my new true crime podcast, Crimeless Hillbilly Heist from Smartless Media, Campside media, and big money players. It's a wild tale about a gang of high functioning nitwits who somehow pulled off America's third largest cash heist.

[Dan Patrick]

Kind of like Robin Hood, except for.

[Pete Babaqua]

The part where he steals from the.

[Dan Patrick]

Rich and gives to the poor. I'm not that generous.

[Paulie Fusco]

It's a damn near inspiring true story for anyone out there who's ever shot for the moon, then just totally muffed up the landing. They stole $17 million and had not bought a ticket to help him escape.

[Pete Babaqua]

So we're sitting like, oh, God, what do we do? What do we do?

[Dan Patrick]

That was dumb. People, do not follow my example.

[Paulie Fusco]

Listen to Crimeless Hillbilly Heist on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, it's Ed Helms, host of snafu, my podcast about history's greatest screw ups. On our new season, we're bringing you a new Snafu Every single episode.

[Dan Patrick]

32 lost nuclear weapons. You're like, wait, stop, Stop. What? Yeah, it's gonna be a whole lot of history, a whole lot of funny.

[Paulie Fusco]

And a whole lot of fabulous guests. Paul Scheer, Angela and Jenna, Nick Kroll, Jordan Klepper. Listen to season four of SNAFU with Ed Helms on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Dan Patrick]

Two rich young Americans move to the Costa Rican jungle to start over. But one of them will end up dead and the other tried for murder three. Three times. It starts with a dream. A nature reserve and a spectacular new home. But little by little, they lose it. They actually lose it.

[Bridget Todd]

They sort of went nuts until one.

[Dan Patrick]

Night, everything spins out of control. Listen to Hell in Heaven on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Tony Fusco]

What's up, everybody?

[Dan Patrick]

It's snacks from the trapped nerds. And all October long, we're bringing you the horror. Boogity, boogity, boogity. We kicking off this month with some of my best horror games to keep you terrified. Then we'll be talking about our favorite.

[Tony Fusco]

Horror and Halloween movies and figuring out why black people always die first.

[Dan Patrick]

And it's the return of Tony's horror.

[Paulie Fusco]

Show Side Quests, written and narrated by yours truly. We'll also be doing a full episode reading with commentary.

[Tony Fusco]

And we'll cap it off with A.

[Dan Patrick]

Horror movie battle royale. Open your free aha Radio app and search Trapped Nerds podcast and listen now.

[Paulie Fusco]

The Internet is something we make, not just something that happens to us.

[Bridget Todd]

I'm Bridget Todd, host of the tech and culture podcast. There are no girls on the Internet. In our new season, I'm talking to people like Anil Dash, an OG entrepreneur and writer who refuses to be cynical about the Internet.

[Dan Patrick]

I love tech. You know, I've been a nerd my.

[Paulie Fusco]

Whole life, but it does have to be for something. Like, it's not just for its own sake.

[Bridget Todd]

It's an inspiring story that focuses on people as the core building blocks of the Internet.

[Tony Fusco]

Listen to.

[Bridget Todd]

There are no girls on the Internet. On the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Dan Patrick]

You are listening to the Dan Patrick show on Fox Sports Radio. It is beautiful. It is beautiful here. This is football weather right here. Makes you want to hit somebody. No, not Todd. You want to hit me. No, I do not.

[Tony Fusco]

I screwed you up twice already.

[Dan Patrick]

I want you to pick up your spirits. All right?

[Tony Fusco]

I feel bad. I feel really bad. I had the wrong fox. Big moon.

[Dan Patrick]

Come on, now. Come on.

[Tony Fusco]

Come on.

[Bridget Todd]

Let's wait.

[Dan Patrick]

Come on. Get up, toddler. Come on.

[Tony Fusco]

Get up.

[Dan Patrick]

Crowds on.

[Pete Babaqua]

That's very.

[Dan Patrick]

That's very kind. We're not. But the crowd is on your. Todd. Todd. Todd. Todd.

[Tony Fusco]

I hate making mistakes, especially when it affects other people, too.

[Dan Patrick]

Nobody likes making mistakes, but we move on. It's okay. Like a pick six. Yes. Yes. You got to come back.

[Tony Fusco]

And there's no excuse for the. The mistakes I made were like, that's a significant thing when you're introducing.

[Dan Patrick]

It's okay. All right, so it's a meat Friday here, and we do have our Traeger grills here. We have burgers. We have brats. We have meatballs. Reverse seared porterhouses. Who has it better than we do?

[Paulie Fusco]

Nobody.

[Dan Patrick]

Thank you. Thank you. To Heartland Steaks. Providing the meat here. Got the Traegers. Got chef IQ Meat thermometers there. We're good to go. Sun is out, and it's been a great stay. Had a lot of fun here. I think I came. First time I was here was 48 years ago when I came with my brother to see a basketball game, Dayton against Notre Dame. I became friends with Digger Phelps, hall of fame coach, longtime Notre Dame coach. And I told the story that he recruited me with a letter. That's one of those where an alumni in your area said, you know, we should be interested in you, and Got a form letter from Digger Phelps. He signed it, and then a couple of weeks later, I got a letter back and said, we're no longer interested in recruiting you. Which seemed kind of mean spirited. They could have just kind of left it hanging there. Yes.

[Bridget Todd]

Kind of feels like the booster that saw you gives enough money that you got the letter, but not enough money that they really recruited you. Is that like we gave you the booster? All right, you spend this much money, we're gonna send Patrick that letter.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, well, you know, I mean, that's Notre Dame's loss. Really. It is. And I think it. It hurts them to this day.

[Bridget Todd]

They had a chance to sign Mr. Outside and they chose not to. Are they crazy?

[Dan Patrick]

And I took my talents to the University of Dayton.

[Bridget Todd]

Yeah.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah.

[Bridget Todd]

And the rest is history.

[Dan Patrick]

Yes, it is. Yes. Paul.

[Paulie Fusco]

My first Notre Dame home football game, I was 10 years old, my uncle, and we had a park, like, way far away, and he got tickets and there were nosebleed tickets, but it was sunny. And I can remember the gold of the helmets when they ran out. And it was better than on TV because we didn't have HD TVs back then. And that was it. That you're done when you. Once you see it in person.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, I think there's certain. There's certain helmets. And USC's helmet is gorgeous as well. Gorgeous. It is. I hated it growing up because they were always better than Ohio State. Whenever Ohio State would play USC in the Rose bowl and I go, they're going to lose. And USC, I remember what, 1968, when I watched O.J. simpson running in the Rose bowl, and I'm like, that guy's different than all the other running backs that I've seen. But coming out here and you know what is great is the stands are right on the field. Like, there's. There's not a lot of separation from the stands to the field. And that atmosphere, it's wonderful atmosphere. It's a shame it's going to rain. I think tomorrow night it's getting a little better.

[Paulie Fusco]

I just checked the weather report. The first half should be decent.

[Dan Patrick]

Yes. Marvin.

[Tony Fusco]

No, I agreed. I just shook my head.

[Dan Patrick]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Paulie.

[Paulie Fusco]

I think the other thing that's interesting about Notre Dame Stadium, when you go inside, it's not chock full of ads and there's lots of distractions. It's a much cleaner college football experience. And like, even back when I was younger, you know, when everyone else had jumbotrons, they didn't go with the Jumbotrons yet. And then you'd see a play and then you'd look up. There's nothing to look up at. You got to focus to the game.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, but you go in, it's not as large as you think it is. You know, before the renovation, I remember going in and go, wait, that's it. But on TV it looked huge. Yes, Paulie, or yes, Todd?

[Tony Fusco]

This may be ignorant, especially to the local group here, but when did they change from. Did they ever have, like, Notre Dame and Fighting Irish or anything in the end zones? What made them go with, like, just diagonal lines without, like, the Notre Dame or anything like that?

[Paulie Fusco]

I don't know the history of it, but if you look back in the 50s, 60s and 70s, most of the end zones didn't have anything in them. They had plain or crossed lines like chalk, just so they could know the difference. And Notre Dame kind of stay with those longer than most.

[Dan Patrick]

Stat of the day brought to you by Panini America, the official trading cards of the program. We will talk to Pete Babaqua. He's the Notre Dame athletic director. When you look at the totem pole of powerful people in college football, Pete's right there, Right there with Greg Sankey, Tony Petitti. He is the commissioner of the Big Ten. Sankey, thank you. Of course, the sec. But we'll talk to Pete, who took over for Jack Swarbrick, who was one of the most powerful people in college football. So poll question Seaton for the final hour of the program is going to be.

[Bridget Todd]

Yeah, we got two up there right now. We just put up not too long ago. How long will Kurt Signetti's contract last? Over four years or under. You're skewing that negatively. I thought maybe it was when he was going to resign. I don't know. Or maybe it's when he's no longer there for whatever reason. Okay, right now, 52% of the audience have it under four years. Oh, now, I don't know what that means. Just for your interpretation.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay. Yes, Marvin.

[Tony Fusco]

He's the safest coach in America. Right?

[Dan Patrick]

I guess as they can win seven.

[Tony Fusco]

Games and they'll be all right.

[Bridget Todd]

You're making a lot of money now to win seven games.

[Tony Fusco]

They can win eight games and they'll be all right.

[Paulie Fusco]

Yeah, that's good.

[Dan Patrick]

No, I think it's different now. Yeah, like a cute story. Can you do it again? Hey, we're paying you to be great every single year. You know, Marcus Freeman in his fifth year, I would think that he's up there among the Safest coaches remember Ryan Day, you know, you lose to Michigan, then all of a sudden it's like, do we need to move on from Ryan Day? And then he won a national championship. Yes.

[Paulie Fusco]

I think what Marv is saying though, if you look at a guy like Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss, he rose them up, he's raised them up. But in the 80s and 90s, Ole Miss would love to be over 500. Yeah, they win the tailgate every year when they would love to have some nice football games. Now he's raised up Ole Miss. I think if he had an off year or two at Ole Miss, he'd probably survive it, while other schools he might not.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, we look at it, we go, hey, that's a great story. But then you want continuity if you're paying for that. You know, Texas Tech, they spent all that money, you know, in the Nil and the Portal. It's a cute story this year, but now what happens next year and then the year after that. Indiana, a couple of years ago, who was the head coach? Tom Allen. Yeah, you know, great story until it wasn't a great story. Then all of a sudden, you know, you had Michael Penix there and then it didn't become a great story anymore. But the, the turnover in college football though, you're going to have more of these teams, smu, Arizona State, that come out of nowhere and they're going to knock some of these so called blue bloods out of the picture. It's going to happen. Texas Tech is probably a playoff team this year. So somebody's going to get knocked out. And you see what's happening at Florida State. Florida, they may lose their coaches. It's a quick turnaround, man. It's. What have you done for me lately? And if I'm paying you $11 million at Indiana, you better be great. Not just, hey, thank you for making us not, you know, an embarrassment. It's. We want to be competing for a title here.

[Tony Fusco]

Yes, Mark, but are the boosters going to pay that buyout? Like, you know what, you've only won eight games instead of the four you were winning beforehand. And now we just got to get rid of you.

[Dan Patrick]

He just signed the contract. We can't. Why? Now we're getting to a buyout for.

[Tony Fusco]

I thought this was good sports radio.

[Bridget Todd]

Big, big boy football now.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, yeah. Okay. Baseball. Last night, the Dodgers, they are on the verge of sweeping the Brewers. And the Blue Jays handled the Mariners 8 2. That's tied at 2 a pie. And the Bengals over the Steelers. Surprise Surprise. Joe Flacco throws for three touchdowns. Time to play the most must win game of the weekend. Otherwise known as the mmw. Gotley, you want to go first?

[Paulie Fusco]

I would love to go first. I was going to go Indiana, Michigan State tomorrow. Kurt Signetti is a 27 point favorite tomorrow against Michigan State. Can you imagine if somehow he lost that game? Now I'm taking out the board because it's probably not possible.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, but you already put the bad vibes out there. I know we shouldn't be doing this.

[Paulie Fusco]

I was just thinking, can you imagine losing that game? I'm gonna go with Georgia tech football. They're 12 right now. Nobody's talking about them. They're 6. 0. They're at Duke and Duke is quality. They're not a bad team. You get past Duke, you've got some winnable games and you finish with Georgia. They could be in the playoffs.

[Dan Patrick]

Marvin, the most must win game of.

[Tony Fusco]

The weekend, the Philadelphia Eagles. They're on a little bit of a losing streak and if they lose this third straight. Nick Sirianni. There's some trouble brewing.

[Dan Patrick]

Who do the Eagles play?

[Tony Fusco]

The Vikings.

[Dan Patrick]

Vikings. That's right.

[Tony Fusco]

Yep. Are you Sirianni?

[Dan Patrick]

You're calling him out, huh?

[Tony Fusco]

There's some trouble brewing. He's never not on the hot seat.

[Dan Patrick]

I know. Even when he won a Super Bowl.

[Tony Fusco]

That'll matter. Doug Peterson won. And 18 months later. Deuces.

[Dan Patrick]

Why are you yelling at me?

[Tony Fusco]

I was just being pet. I was just giving my opinion.

[Dan Patrick]

Sound like you were yelling at me. All of a sudden you put on the Notre Dame hockey sweatshirt and you think you're a tough guy.

[Tony Fusco]

Come on, Marvin O Prince.

[Dan Patrick]

Right here. Todd the MM W gotw after losing.

[Tony Fusco]

Their first two, winning the next three. I want to believe in Paulie's Bears. I think for them to make a statement, it's very important to go to 4 and 2. They've got to beat the Saints at Soldier Field and prove that they're one of the better teams in the nfc.

[Dan Patrick]

The Saints are getting four and a half. Does that make you nervous?

[Paulie Fusco]

It's a little close.

[Dan Patrick]

It's like.

[Paulie Fusco]

It's a little tight.

[Dan Patrick]

They're the Saints.

[Paulie Fusco]

Yeah, but Spencer Rattler's had him in a few games.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, but you're the Bears. Aren't you supposed to be turning the corner here?

[Paulie Fusco]

I. I've seen a lot of corners missed by the Bears over the years. A lot of they went straight and they missed the turn.

[Dan Patrick]

Seaton the most must win game of the weekend.

[Bridget Todd]

I'm gonna Go Syracuse Football.

[Paulie Fusco]

Whoa, deep cut, Siri.

[Bridget Todd]

I'm going deep cut on you guys. Syracuse, they are hosting Pitt this week. They're currently three and three. They have Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Miami, Notre Dame, Boston College coming up. If they want to get into a bowl game, they absolutely have to beat Pitt this weekend.

[Dan Patrick]

And you got that coach Fran Brown, who is highly thought of.

[Bridget Todd]

Yeah, I like that dude.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, his name came up with Penn State. Well, it's everybody's name comes up with Penn State. I'm surprised Lane Kiffin's name hasn't come up with Penn State. Feels like, you know, hey, or you make sure that your agent tells somebody in the media, hey, you know, Penn State's interested in my client. Okay. And then you put it out, and next thing you know, that guy's got a contract extension. And that's kind of how it works. All right, so poll question for the final hour of the program is going to be what? Seaton?

[Bridget Todd]

Yeah, we just put up the signetti one there. It's getting a great reaction, people. I do like the sort of negative versus positive on that. We also had up there. How much will the Steelers regret last night's loss? Right now, 62% of the audience say they're going to miss that a ton.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, we always look back. We should look back. We don't do it enough where we tend to look at the last two games of the regular season instead of, you know, those games in the start. Like the Bengals against the Patriots last year. And I went, oh, this is going to be bad. This is going to be bad. This will come back and haunt the Bengals. And it did. They missed the playoffs by a game. Yeah.

[Paulie Fusco]

Paulie, we're calling yesterday's game by the Steelers and Bengals the M I G O T S S F. The most impactful game of the season so far.

[Bridget Todd]

New category so far.

[Paulie Fusco]

Yeah, so far.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay, wait, that's the most impactful game of the season so far?

[Paulie Fusco]

Yes, because it totally opens up the division. Now the Bengals can play for what? And try to get Joe Burrow back and think like, we have a shot here. If Lamar Jackson can come back and think, all we need is a three game winning streak. And right back in this, the Steelers were holding serve. You said it last week. Just hold serve. They didn't. They flinched. Most impactful game of the season so far.

[Dan Patrick]

Do you guys agree with that? That that's the most impactful game of the season? Marvin.

[Tony Fusco]

I'm gonna go with the Patriots winning at the Bills. Yeah, I think that's a big game changer right there.

[Paulie Fusco]

Now we have debate.

[Tony Fusco]

They have the tiebreaker.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah. Oh, so you threw that out just so we would have a debate. I see what you.

[Paulie Fusco]

It's a pot stir.

[Dan Patrick]

Oh, okay. Classic Todd. Do you have.

[Tony Fusco]

That's why he's the producer. I kind of agree with Paulie. I know he's not going to like that. He's going to want to change his mind.

[Paulie Fusco]

But try to distance myself.

[Tony Fusco]

I'm trying to distance myself. I think he makes a very valid point about what's going on in the AFC North. I like the way he presented that.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay. All right.

[Paulie Fusco]

M I G, O T S S.

[Bridget Todd]

F buccaneers, Seahawks, Week 5, 38, 35. I think that's probably a bigger game. That's just me. Okay. That's just my opinion.

[Dan Patrick]

By the way, there's a Sam Darnold panini card behind Paulie and call it. And. And so when we tear down the state, the stage here, Paulie goes. I. I got. I got that. That's mine. I go. You can take it off the wall right now.

[Paulie Fusco]

Really?

[Dan Patrick]

Oh, yeah.

[Paulie Fusco]

Oh, why are you giving it to me?

[Dan Patrick]

And you can put it right by your desk as a Sam Darnoldist. Yes. Nobody loves Sam Darnold as much as you do.

[Bridget Todd]

Look at the. You have Jerome Bettis behind you. Look at his shoulder pads.

[Dan Patrick]

Well, back then, the shoulder pads were huge.

[Bridget Todd]

As tall as his head, wasn't it?

[Dan Patrick]

Clay Matthews, the first guy to have small shoulder pads, he definitely.

[Tony Fusco]

Yeah, he had small children.

[Dan Patrick]

Like he had Pop Warner shoulder pads. But if you look at. At Earl Campbell's shoulder pads, they were huge.

[Bridget Todd]

Huge.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, but back then, you did have big shoulder pads. Now these guys don't have knee pads, hip pads, thigh pads. And they have small shoulder pads.

[Tony Fusco]

Yes, Marvin, they have leggings for football pants.

[Paulie Fusco]

It's like capri pants.

[Tony Fusco]

Yeah. There's nothing. No thigh, no knee, no nothing.

[Dan Patrick]

But the coaches are wearing the capri pants to their press conferences.

[Paulie Fusco]

Mike McDaniel down in Miami, he is. The worst thing about him is not his win loss records, is how he dresses for games.

[Dan Patrick]

Well, Aaron Glenn, did the capri pants.

[Bridget Todd]

Agree to disagree. Agree to disagree.

[Paulie Fusco]

Look at their records. Combined capri pants equal losses.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah.

[Paulie Fusco]

Everyone knows that.

[Bridget Todd]

Well, I can't argue with that. But I'm gonna say you're okay with.

[Dan Patrick]

Mike McDaniel Capri Pants.

[Bridget Todd]

I love Mike McDaniel. Everything that he does.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, I like it.

[Bridget Todd]

I wish that he was a little more like, protected his quarterbacks a little bit more I don't really like that, but in terms of his style and personal demeanor, that's my guy. Love him.

[Dan Patrick]

And you're okay with the capri pants?

[Bridget Todd]

Yeah, yeah, of course. I mean, I'm not going to wear them, but I don't mind his capri pants.

[Dan Patrick]

Go ahead, dude.

[Bridget Todd]

He looks good.

[Tony Fusco]

Yes, Marvin, I don't know about the pants, but I do enjoy the Tony Montana Scarface sunglasses that he wears sometimes when it's sunny out. Boy, I'm about to sell a whole brick.

[Paulie Fusco]

Well, even we're not accusing him of that.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, well, no. Allegedly, you know.

[Tony Fusco]

Oh, no, no, no. It looks like he's about to sell a whole bag.

[Bridget Todd]

It was Tubboy, and he said the locker room is too polluted. He's talking about Tua there. It wasn't good. It's okay.

[Dan Patrick]

Not a quailute.

[Bridget Todd]

He'll be back.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, but he's got to protect his quarterback on the field and at a press conference. That's the problem. And he can only do so much there.

[Tony Fusco]

Yes, Marvin, best part about that whole thing is for. For us. That is amazing what he says during press conferences. Dolphins, PR. Somebody's got to talk to Tua because that is PR's worst nightmare.

[Dan Patrick]

They should just get quotes from him, the PR department with the Dolphins, and just say, give me some quotes and then we'll pass them on to the media. When he gets in front of the that live microphone, it is not good, or I would do AI with him and, you know, just say, we, we got to control this. Because when he gets in front of a live audience, the media man doesn't go well. All right, we'll take a break. He's a pretty powerful guy in sports. He's Pete Babaqua, Notre Dame athletic director. He will join us coming up next here live from South Bend. Dan Patrick Show.

[Paulie Fusco]

Be sure to catch the live edition.

[Dan Patrick]

Of the Dan Patrick show, weekdays at 9am Eastern, 6am Pacific, Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app.

[Tony Fusco]

Paulie Fusco here with Tony Fusco.

[Dan Patrick]

Yo.

[Tony Fusco]

As everybody knows, we're the host of the award winning Paulie and Tony Fusco Show.

[Pete Babaqua]

Yeah.

[Tony Fusco]

But instead of us telling you how great we are, here's how Dan Patrick.

[Pete Babaqua]

Described us when he came on our show.

[Dan Patrick]

Quick, knowledgeable and funny. Opinionated. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

[Tony Fusco]

What are you doing? You're interrupting our promo.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, he wasn't talking about you. You took those clips totally out of context.

[Tony Fusco]

Oh, yeah. Well, after this promo, I'm gonna take you out and beat you.

[Dan Patrick]

Let me Put this into context.

[Paulie Fusco]

Shut up.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah.

[Tony Fusco]

Anyway, just listen to the Paulie and Tony Fusco show on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts.

[Dan Patrick]

Or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Pete Babaqua]

Yay.

[Dan Patrick]

Hey, it's Ed Helms.

[Paulie Fusco]

And welcome back to snafu, my podcast about history's greatest screw ups. On our new season, we're bringing you a new snafu. Every single episode.

[Dan Patrick]

32 lost nuclear weapons. You're like, wait, stop.

[Paulie Fusco]

What? Ernie Shackleton sounds like a solid 70s.

[Dan Patrick]

Basketball player who still wore knee pads. Yes. It's going to be a whole lot of history, a whole lot of funny.

[Paulie Fusco]

And a whole lot of guests. The great Paul Scheer made me feel good. I'm like, oh, wow, Angela and Jenna.

[Pete Babaqua]

I am so psyched you're here.

[Paulie Fusco]

What was that like for you to.

[Dan Patrick]

Soft launch into the show?

[Paulie Fusco]

Sorry, Jenna, I'll be asking the questions today.

[Dan Patrick]

I forgot whose podcast we were doing.

[Paulie Fusco]

Nick Kroll. I hope this story is good enough to get you to toss that sandwich.

[Pete Babaqua]

So let's see how it goes.

[Paulie Fusco]

Listen to season four of SNAFU with Ed Helms on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Dan Patrick]

What's up everybody?

[Tony Fusco]

This is Snax from the Trap Nerds.

[Dan Patrick]

Podcast and we're bringing you the horror every week all October long. Kicking off this month, I'll be bringing.

[Bridget Todd]

You all my greatest fear inducing horror.

[Dan Patrick]

Games from Resident Evil to Solid Hill.

[Bridget Todd]

Me and Tony bringing Back Fire team.

[Dan Patrick]

On Left for Dead two.

[Bridget Todd]

And we just going to be going.

[Dan Patrick]

Over some of the greats. Also in October, we'll be talking about our favorite horror and Halloween movie and figuring out why black people always got to die first.

[Paulie Fusco]

The umbral reliquary invites any and all fool brave enough to peruse its many curiosities.

[Dan Patrick]

But take heed.

[Paulie Fusco]

All sails are final.

[Dan Patrick]

Weekly horror side quests written and narrated.

[Paulie Fusco]

By yours truly, with a full episode.

[Dan Patrick]

Read and a commentary special. And we will cap it off with.

[Tony Fusco]

Horror movie Battle Royale, Jason versus Freddy, Michael Myers versus the Alien Thing with the Little Tongue Monster.

[Dan Patrick]

October. We're doing it Halloween style. Listen to the Traverse Podcast from the.

[Tony Fusco]

Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcast.

[Paulie Fusco]

The Rich Russians Falling out of Windows podcast is back. Sad oligarch season two. Since we left you in 2023 after season one, many politically motivated Russian millionaires have continued to die in suspicious circumstances. We dig deeper into these odd deaths, which include everything from mushroom poisoning and mysterious heart attacks to window clumsiness and suicide by decapitation. One thing we have found since we started back in 2022 is the information on the suspicious deaths has become much harder to find. Not just that, it seems as if state controlled media in Russia is being utilized to purposely confuse and contradict the reporting that gets put out. As you can probably imagine, season two gets very weird. Listen to Sad Oligarch on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Pete Babaqua]

I'm Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman, host of the Psychology Podcast. Here's a clip from an upcoming conversation about exploring human potential.

[Paulie Fusco]

I was going to schools to try to teach kids these skills and I get eye rolling from teachers or I get students who would be like, it's easier to punch someone in the face. When you think about emotion regulation, like, you're not going to choose an adaptive strategy which is more effortful to use unless you think there's a good outcome as a result of it, if it's going to be beneficial to you. Because it's easy to just say like, go blank yourself, right? It's easy. It's easy to just drink the extra beer. It's easy to ignore, to suppress seeing a colleague who's bothering you and just.

[Dan Patrick]

Like walk the other way.

[Paulie Fusco]

Avoidance is easier. Ignoring is easier. Denial is easier. Drinking is easier. Yelling, screaming is easy. Complex problem solving, meditating, you know, takes effort.

[Dan Patrick]

Listen to the Psychology podcast on the.

[Paulie Fusco]

Iheartradio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The Internet is something we make, not just something that happens to us.

[Bridget Todd]

I'm Bridget Todd, host of the Tech and Culture podcast. There are no girls on the Internet. There are no girls on the Internet is not just about tech. It's about culture and policy and art and expression and how we as humans exist and fit with one another. In our new season, I'm talking to people like Anil Dash, an OG entrepreneur and writer who refuses to be cynical about the Internet.

[Dan Patrick]

I love tech. You know, I've been a nerd my.

[Paulie Fusco]

Whole life, but it does have to be for something. Like, it's not just for its own sake.

[Bridget Todd]

It's a fascinating exploration about the power of the Internet for both good and bad.

[Paulie Fusco]

They use WhatsApp to get the price.

[Pete Babaqua]

Of rice at the market that is.

[Paulie Fusco]

Often 12 hours away.

[Dan Patrick]

They're not going to be like, we.

[Pete Babaqua]

Don'T like the terms of service, therefore.

[Paulie Fusco]

We'Re not trading rice this season.

[Bridget Todd]

It's an inspiring story that focuses on people as the core building blocks of.

[Paulie Fusco]

The Internet platforms exist because of the.

[Dan Patrick]

Regular people on them.

[Paulie Fusco]

And I think that's a real important.

[Pete Babaqua]

Story to keep repeating.

[Bridget Todd]

I created There Are no Girls on the Internet because the future belongs to all of us. New episodes every Tuesday and Friday. Listen to There Are no Girls on the Internet. On the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Dan Patrick]

I forgot about this. But our next guest, he's the athletic director here at Notre Dame, Pete Babaqua. I think he was my boss at NBC at one point, although I never saw him. I don't know if we had any communication. Yes, Paul, that's the best kind of boss. Yeah. But I. I just remembered he worked at NBC Sports and ran NBC Sports, but I didn't come in contact with him. Yeah.

[Paulie Fusco]

Then he went in the portal and Notre Dame picked him up.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, they did. But the nil. I mean, he's done a really good job here.

[Paulie Fusco]

Good deal.

[Dan Patrick]

As we welcome the Notre Dame athletic director, Pete Babaqua.

[Pete Babaqua]

Thanks, guys.

[Dan Patrick]

Thank you. Whoa. Okay, what do we got? We got gifts here. Oh, there's our new. Our.

[Pete Babaqua]

Our new hockey jersey.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay. So this is the unveiling of the hockey jersey that will be on display.

[Paulie Fusco]

Wow.

[Dan Patrick]

Tonight we're gonna.

[Pete Babaqua]

We're gonna wear it tonight. We played tonight again against St. Lawrence. We had a nice victory. I think a bunch of you guys.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, yeah, they were there.

[Pete Babaqua]

Had a nice victory last night, 8, 2. And hopefully we can keep it going.

[Dan Patrick]

That is awesome.

[Pete Babaqua]

Also, I have some of your old performance reviews.

[Dan Patrick]

Oh, you do? Yeah.

[Pete Babaqua]

Sit down and talk about.

[Dan Patrick]

Wait, were you my boss at some point?

[Pete Babaqua]

I was, yeah. Yeah.

[Dan Patrick]

But why didn't I talk to you?

[Pete Babaqua]

You know, I was busy and why.

[Dan Patrick]

Didn'T you talk to me?

[Pete Babaqua]

I, I, We. We talked.

[Dan Patrick]

Did you think I did a good job?

[Pete Babaqua]

I thought you did a really good job.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay.

[Pete Babaqua]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Dan Patrick]

Why am I not there anymore?

[Pete Babaqua]

There's. There's new bosses.

[Tony Fusco]

Right.

[Dan Patrick]

Great to talk to you. And I mentioned this. I don't know if I'm overstating it. You probably would think I am, but I look at Sankey and Petiti, and I look at you as, you know, probably the three most important people in college football. The SEC commissioner, Big Ten, and you here at Notre Dame, and you take over for Jack Swarbrick, who was one of the most influential people we probably had with the sport. Sometimes do you feel like you guys are the gatekeepers here? And if so, what goes along with that?

[Pete Babaqua]

Well, I would tell you. I. First of all, it's. It's not me. It's Notre Dame. I mean, Notre Dame is earned that position. You talk about the history of Notre Dame football, the power Notre Dame football, the power of the brand. I'm the, I'm the caretaker of that, you know, and I couldn't be more honored or feel more fortunate to be in this position. And I take that responsibility very, very seriously that I'm in that room having those conversations with Greg Sanke, Todi Petitti, Jimmy Phillips at the ACC, Brett Yormark at the Big 12 and others. And, you know, we have a very definite point of view. We have a perspective. What Notre Dame believes in being independent in this space, as you've mentioned in the past, is certainly a unique attribute to the position we hold in college football. And it's a great privilege to be in that room. I love being in that room. I love being a part of those conversations. And we're all hopefully united and aligned in certainly doing what's best. A commissioner has to always have the perspective of what's best for his or her conference. I have to have the perspective of what's best for Notre Dame. But I think we all hope to share a common ground of what's best for the future health of college football.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay, but what is that there have been different models that have been put out there and I just, it feels like it's inevitable we're going to get to an NFL or Premier League type of format. Could you get 60 teams, 50, 40 teams and almost secede from the NCAA?

[Pete Babaqua]

You know, Dan, there's the concept of this super league. Are there 24, 30 teams that extricate themselves from the college football space and create a mini NFL? I for one, I think that's a horrible mistake. College football is not the NFL. We shouldn't be the NFL. We're something different. We're something that's special. The crowds, the alumni bases, the fact that these are 18 to 21 year olds that change and graduate, there's a power to that. And I think in trying to replicate the NFL model where there might be some more revenue there, particularly from a media standpoint, I think we'll ruin what's special. We won't look like the NFL. We'll look like a small version, a compromised version of the NFL, and we'll lose. What's so special about what's going to happen here tomorrow night when you have two great storied programs from great schools coming together, this wonderful rivalry, you know, you have The Notre Dame, USC's, the Ohio states, Michigan's. That's what Makes college football so special.

[Dan Patrick]

But we're losing these rivalries. We may lose usc, Notre Dame.

[Pete Babaqua]

Well, I would say. And I can't speak for usc, but. But I. In the conversations we've had, I think both schools, both administrations are committed to keeping this series alive. We've had a lot of positive conversations with usc. They're continuing literally around the clock. My hope. And I think USC shares this, and I know they share it. We want to keep this series going. It's so special. It's. Hey, I'll be the first to admit it's great for Notre Dame. I think it's great for usc. And maybe most importantly, I think it's great for college football. This is one of those rivalries that define college football, defined the sport, the greatest intersectional rivalry that there is, and I think the public deserves it. I think the college fans deserve it. All the pageantry of a Notre Dame us. You think about the importance of this game over the history of college football, how many national championships were influenced and determined the Heisman Trophy winners. And I understand, you know, with the Big Ten, the conference schedules, you know, more conference matchups. That's tough. That's difficult travel for USC now that they're in the Big Ten. But, you know, I just think college football deserves it. I know we feel that way. I know USC feels that way. And, you know, for us, we're lucky that we have a long list of really prominent teams that want to play us. They want to do home and homes. They want us to come to their stadiums. They want to come here to Notre Dame. And, you know, that's great. And that's a fortunate position to be in, and that's the power of Notre Dame and the power of the program under Coach Freeman. But there's something really special about Notre Dame, usc. And no matter how either team season is going to, anything can happen. You can make a team more difficult. Road to a national championship. You can have an upset. It's just. It's just a wonderful history there that I hope we don't lose.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, but. Okay, so why are we at this point where we have to negotiate around the clock to keep this going? If everybody understands the beauty of this rivalry, the importance of this rivalry, I.

[Pete Babaqua]

Think it's scheduling and now the Big Ten schedule and the nine games that they play. When you look at our schedule into the future, and we're talking about moments in the calendar month, that makes sense for us and for usc. I think there's no secret that USC would like to play our game earlier in the season. So I'm working hand in hand with somebody who's so important to our program, Ron Paulus, who's a name everybody knows. And Ron is kind of mapping out what our future looks like. 26, 27, well into the 30s. And where could we position this game? So it's a win win for us when we go out there and when USC comes here and visits, I'm hopeful, I'm optimistic. Nothing is finalized, but I'm optimistic that we'll get something done.

[Dan Patrick]

He's Pete Babaqua, Notre Dame athletic director. But I understand from USC's perspective, it feels like Notre Dame may need USC more than USC needs Notre Dame, because Notre Dame has a tough Big Ten schedule and they don't want to jeopardize, you know, another loss, because if you have three losses, you're not going to make. Like tomorrow's an elimination game, it feels like for Notre Dame.

[Pete Babaqua]

Yeah, I think it's, you know, we, you know, we have a tough schedule this year. We opened up with two very tough competitive games, obviously with Miami, who's now, I think, number two in the country in Texas A and M. We lost to Miami by three points there in our opening game. We lost to Texas A and M here by a point. Then we've, you know, we've had this great stretch of four victories in a row. But no, hey, no doubt about it. If we want to make the cfp, and we do, we got to go win tomorrow night. We know that. Our team knows that. Marcus knows that. But I'll push back on you. I think this game is just as important for USC as it is for Notre Dame and just as important for college football. And if you're usc, you want this tradition, you want to play Notre Dame, you want Notre Dame to come out to the Coliseum, you know, just like when USC is here, we'll pack the house. The south bend. There'll be 100 more thousand people coming into South Bend, even people who can't get in the stadium just to be a part of the pageantry and the atmosphere. Well, that happens when we go out to the Coliseum. It's packed. The surrounding area is packed. It has such a benefit for the campus, for the community. And when you take two great historic brands from wonderful schools and you're able to have this great contest on the football field year in and year out, there's tremendous value for the entire ecosystem.

[Dan Patrick]

Well, I don't want to lose it, but I don't want to lose Notre Dame and Michigan.

[Pete Babaqua]

Well, I Would I want to play. I'd love to play Michigan. Michigan. You know, and I think that's something we're going to work toward. I think that's one. You know, I think back to my time here. I graduated in 1993.

[Dan Patrick]

If you join the Big Ten, then you get to play these teams. Yeah, but we just let you know.

[Pete Babaqua]

We. I hear you. And the Big Ten. Hey, no, there's.

[Dan Patrick]

Was it ever close?

[Pete Babaqua]

Big Ten is a wonderful conference. I don't think it was ever close. You know, there's the Big Ten, the SEC, the Big 12, the ACC. As you know, we're a member of the ACC for. For 24 of our 26 sports or Big 10 in hockey and obviously independent in football. I think it's a great time to be independent, and we're sure we're a unicorn, but we have a wonderful relationship with NBC, 35 years and counting. We. We have the luxury and we're fortunate to schedule great teams. Think about this year. We had Miami, Texas A and M. We play USC going into the future. We have Alabama, we have Texas. We have some others that we're close to announcing. And I love the fact that the freedom we have from playing teams that. That make sense, playing in areas that we want to play in, whether it's going to New York City, going out to Los Angeles, playing in Yankee Stadium next year, opening up the season in Lambeau against Wisconsin, going to Ireland, thinking, hey, can we go play a game in Mexico City? You have the luxury of that when you're independent. But to be independent, you have to be good. And we know that. And that's an obligation. That's a responsibility. We have to be good. We have to stay relevant. We have to knock on that national championship door year in and year out, because to stay independent, we have to be impossible to ignore. You have to be a unicorn, but you don't want. You can't let the unicorn get starved. And that's tremendous pressure on the program, on. On our athletic department, on Coach Freeman. But it's pressure that we welcome and I think we thrive on.

[Dan Patrick]

If you had the deciding vote of expanding the playoffs from 12 to, let's say, 16, 100% answer.

[Pete Babaqua]

In my opinion, 16 teams is the way we should go. Five automatic qualifiers, one each for the Power Four conference champions, one for the highest G5 camp, G5 champion, 11 at large. Prove it on the field. If we're lucky enough to be in, we're in. If because we're independent, we have three losses or four losses and we're out. We're out. I think there's almost unanimity in that feeling, and I hope that's where we end up. I feel passionate about that. I think it's the best thing for college football. I think it's the best thing for the future of college football. Look at the top 10 this year. Look at the different teams in there. Look at the success that Texas Tech is having. You want that. You want every team to wake up at the end of the summer and as they go into their first game and say, hey, if we do it, if we get it done, if we go 12, 0, if we go 11, 1, if we schedule tough opponents and have a strong strength of schedule, we can earn our way in there. Nobody wants a head start. That's not the way to do it. We want to prove that we can identify a true national championship, a team that's earned it on the field. And I feel very strong.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, but can we lock in 16? We got to 12 and we went. We were already going. Well, we got to get to 14 or 16.

[Pete Babaqua]

Yeah. I think what I love about. I think the move from four to 12 was terrific and smart. I think the move from 12 to 16 brings additional teams in. Obviously, the four additional teams, it creates those four additional narratives around the country, brings those fan bases and brings in other geographies, yet there's that delicate balance that I think it achieves and maintains of identifying a true national championship, but protecting the integrity and the importance of the regular season. And there's no sport where the regular season games are more important than they are in college football. Here we are in week seven and we have a game tomorrow night that for us will determine whether we can make the playoffs or whether we're on the outside looking in. That doesn't happen in other sports. And that's the beauty of college football. That's why there's so much passion around these games. And you mentioned games as weekend that are so important. Teams that can't afford to lose again, teams that need a quality win. That's the beauty of college football. And I. We can't lose that. Be a shame if we lost that.

[Dan Patrick]

Do you have uniform approval?

[Pete Babaqua]

I have uniform input, input, input. So I, you know, Marcus, who's probably one of the two or three most stylish men in America, he has a lot of input. We tend to defer to him. We have color combinations that we like. And then he works with our very talented team and with our partner, Under Armour to put the uniforms out there. But I get a sense that's a leading question. Are you thinking about a uniform that we haven't debuted yet?

[Dan Patrick]

No, I'm just curious, is there anything like a bold move that you would make for a one off?

[Pete Babaqua]

Well, you think about our Shamrock series. We've had some really creative uniforms. You think?

[Dan Patrick]

I mean, I love the helmet with the shamrock on it.

[Pete Babaqua]

Yeah. I think we, we see though the gold helmet as sacrosanct.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay.

[Pete Babaqua]

I don't think we're going to monkey around with the helmets anymore. That gold helmet is as good as it gets. I'm biased. I think it's the best helmet in college football. But you think about when we went to Yankee Stadium for the Shamrock series a few years back with the pinstripes, what we did last year when we went to Yankee Stadium for the army game, what we're going to do next year at Lambeau, what we did a couple of weeks ago in the all green uniforms. I love when we use the white on white with the gold helmets when we're away. So we're gonna, you know, we work with Under Armour. We want to change it up. The fans love it.

[Dan Patrick]

But you wouldn't. The leprechaun on the front like the leprechaun, you have.

[Pete Babaqua]

Well, you can't put the leprechaun on for.

[Dan Patrick]

You need the number, but you can't do ae.

[Pete Babaqua]

No.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah.

[Pete Babaqua]

You will see that our. We have the sports specific leprechauns. We debuted the football one that, that you guys, that you've been wearing a few weeks ago and the fans love it. Coach Freeman loves it. We have the hockey leprechaun. We're going to do that in more sports. You will see that football leprechaun start to move into certain positions on some of our football uniforms. But unlike the hockey sweater, it won't be on the front or the back.

[Dan Patrick]

Can you give me an idea of how much merchandise you guys do? Well, I would tell you we did a lot yesterday. I'll let you know. That's a great a two story, you know, bookstore full of merchandise like Saks Fifth Avenue on campus, like this has to be. You must do more merchandise than any other program in America.

[Pete Babaqua]

America, I think, you know, we're lucky we have such a great, passionate, national, international fan base. That Notre Dame logo, whether you're in South Bend, Indiana or New York City or Beijing, people know what it is. It means something. And then to the credit of the university and to the credit of our partners like Under Armour, we come up with you know, really interesting designs that appeal to people. And then, as I say, you put it on. Marcus Freeman, put him on television for three and a half hours on a Saturday afternoon or a Saturday night, and everybody wants what. What Marcus wears. Now, the unfortunate thing is, not everybody.

[Dan Patrick]

Looks as good as Marcus does. Yeah, you guys do. Your results may vary.

[Paulie Fusco]

Yeah.

[Dan Patrick]

Can you get the Pope? He's a Southsider.

[Pete Babaqua]

He's a Southsider, but he is a Villanova grad.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, but they don't have football.

[Pete Babaqua]

They don't have football. We're. We think the Pope's a fan.

[Paulie Fusco]

We.

[Pete Babaqua]

Our provost, John McGreevey, and our president.

[Dan Patrick]

Kind of nice, maybe, you know, Fighting Irish. And he's wearing the hockey.

[Pete Babaqua]

A little blue and gold and green. It would be nice.

[Dan Patrick]

It'd be nice.

[Pete Babaqua]

Something to work on for sure.

[Dan Patrick]

Thanks for having us hosting us people here behind the scenes did a wonderful job. Could not have been more accommodating. And it is. And I don't know if an honorary degree is, like, in play now, but I. I mean, I'll throw it out there.

[Pete Babaqua]

We. Well, we're. We're thrilled you're here. We. I love the show personally.

[Dan Patrick]

No, that's.

[Pete Babaqua]

I'll take it up with our president, Father Bob.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay. Yeah. All right, fair enough. I mean, I graduated from Dayton, so maybe Flyers. Great school. Yeah. Maybe like a graduate degree, you know.

[Pete Babaqua]

So you can come back and get an advanced degree.

[Dan Patrick]

A doctorate. Yeah, something like that. Thank you, Pete.

[Pete Babaqua]

Thank you.

[Dan Patrick]

Thank you, guys. Notre Dame athletic director. Last call for phone calls. What we learn what's in store right after this. Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our [e-mail] and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR to listen live. We will have what disdain sports history. Anything else that we need to come up with?

[Paulie Fusco]

I think we have a quick rhyme time. The crowd wanted it. Todded answer.

[Dan Patrick]

They did want it.

[Paulie Fusco]

Yeah.

[Dan Patrick]

It doesn't. Okay, do a little bit. I want it.

[Tony Fusco]

You want it.

[Dan Patrick]

I want rhyme time.

[Tony Fusco]

And they're just gonna have to kind of deal with it.

[Dan Patrick]

Give me. Come on, let's go. All right, now explain rhyme time to the audience.

[Tony Fusco]

I'm gonna give you two words and the answers to those two words. These clues rhyme with one another. Like an example would be gnawing. Irish. Gnawing. What's another word for gnawing on something? Or chewing.

[Dan Patrick]

Or chewing. Right.

[Tony Fusco]

Or biting.

[Bridget Todd]

Biting. Fighting.

[Tony Fusco]

Biting, fighting. Nor in Irish would be biting, fighting. That's how that works. Okay. Charms. Quacky. Charms. Quacky.

[Dan Patrick]

Lucky ducky.

[Tony Fusco]

Lucky ducky. Here we go.

[Bridget Todd]

Oh, he said quacky.

[Tony Fusco]

Quacky. Charms. Quacky is lucky ducky. Notor weak.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay?

[Tony Fusco]

Irish soap. Casual affair.

[Paulie Fusco]

Spring fling.

[Tony Fusco]

Spring fling is exactly what that is. You guys are rolling right now. We're going through this too quick. Big payday. Hairpiece. Big payday. Someone recently got a big payday hair piece.

[Dan Patrick]

Signetti.

[Tony Fusco]

A hairpiece would be a toupee. Two would be a. What's another for hairpiece? Who's the coach at Indiana? I'm giving you too many clues.

[Dan Patrick]

Kurt. Signetti.

[Tony Fusco]

Big payday. Hairpiece would be sig wig is what we're looking for.

[Paulie Fusco]

Like, that didn't work.

[Tony Fusco]

Why is Big payday and hairpiece. Why not? Why is that a. I mean, it's okay.

[Dan Patrick]

You got.

[Tony Fusco]

You're getting booed here. All right, Scherzer truths. Scherzer truths.

[Dan Patrick]

Max facts.

[Tony Fusco]

Max facts. Mookie the bed. Mookie the bed. Fight Mariners. Fight Mariners.

[Bridget Todd]

Battle Seattle.

[Tony Fusco]

Battle Seattle. Two more quick ones. Accomplishers Milwaukee. Accomplishers. Milwaukee Doers. Brewers and Brewers. And the last one is Toronto potato chips. Jay's lace, Jay's lays. And there's your.

[Dan Patrick]

That's it. That's right. Time. Yeah. Thank you guys for humoring me. Yeah.

[Tony Fusco]

Hopefully that wasn't too painful.

[Dan Patrick]

Just a little fun on the front. Thank you, Tom. Once again, my thanks to NBC and Peacock and to Notre Dame for helping us. The big German did a wonderful job. He is the director. He's the one that set up everything. Yeah, he had a tough, tough week. He had to bury his father and then got on the road and then, you know, came in here, set this up. And so we want to thank him. Ryan, our production manager.

[Paulie Fusco]

He's the wolf. He's the wolf.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah. Thank you.

[Tony Fusco]

He's gonna get it done no matter what.

[Dan Patrick]

Shelby, who works for Notre Dame, was the liaison. Aaron from Notre Dame. So wonderful people who helped set all of this up. Mario's birthday is today. Mario, who is the eyes and ears of the program.

[Tony Fusco]

Happy birthday.

[Dan Patrick]

Happy birthday. Okay. Yes. Paulie.

[Bridget Todd]

Every we.

[Paulie Fusco]

You and I have been in Notre Dame probably three times, and every time I leave here, I say to myself, I sure wish I had studied in high school. I sure wish I had studied. If I had a do over, I don't know if it would have made. Made a difference.

[Dan Patrick]

I love Notre Dame, but I love not studying more. Yeah, I think I would have studied. I had a lot of fun.

[Pete Babaqua]

Yeah.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah. I Went to Daytona. You know, I had a lot of fun.

[Paulie Fusco]

I went to Southern. I barely got out.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, I mean, look, Todd studied, and we're all in the same room. Valedictorian.

[Tony Fusco]

Whatever you are, it doesn't matter.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah. You were second in a class of 600, and you're here with us.

[Paulie Fusco]

That's right.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah.

[Tony Fusco]

And I'm proud to be that.

[Dan Patrick]

Are you?

[Tony Fusco]

I am not so much today, but in general, I'm proud to be here.

[Dan Patrick]

How about. Am I going to hear about this all the way home? Can you promise that I. I promise I will not bring this up, to.

[Tony Fusco]

Bring it up anymore.

[Dan Patrick]

I will.

[Tony Fusco]

I'm going to be cheery and smiley, and I'm going to get past it. Everyone makes mistakes.

[Dan Patrick]

I. You know what? I'm going to exonerate you. I'm going to.

[Tony Fusco]

Oh, we're doing confession.

[Dan Patrick]

I'm going to bless you.

[Tony Fusco]

Okay.

[Dan Patrick]

All right.

[Bridget Todd]

Forgive me, affiliates.

[Dan Patrick]

Why don't you go to Touchdown Jesus and apologize down on your knees and just apologize to the Golic family, to Brady Quinn, Notre Dame alum.

[Tony Fusco]

Yes, There are a lot of apologies to be made.

[Paulie Fusco]

By the way, over your right shoulder, there are a lot of private jets rolling into town. I've counted 20 in the past hour.

[Dan Patrick]

Oh, yeah.

[Paulie Fusco]

A lot of big wigs heading into the game.

[Bridget Todd]

That's still one of the coolest things that's ever happened. We were lucky enough to be on a private plane once here, and the captain came on and said, all right, guys, we'll be taking off soon. We're just waiting for Regis Philbin to leave.

[Dan Patrick]

Oh, my God, dude.

[Bridget Todd]

What?

[Dan Patrick]

Regis jet was in front of ours, but I think it was his jet we just rented.

[Bridget Todd]

We were just like, on borrowed time, just waiting for Regis to take off.

[Dan Patrick]

This day in sports history.

[Paulie Fusco]

Paul, I just got one. 1968. Bob Beeman jumped 292 1/2 inches at the Olympic Games in Mexico for the world record. That's it.

[Dan Patrick]

Final results of the poll question. Seaton.

[Bridget Todd]

Yeah.

[Pete Babaqua]

Right.

[Bridget Todd]

Now, let's see. How long will Kurt Signetti's contract last? Right now, I hate to say it, but most people have under four years.

[Dan Patrick]

That's wrong. That is wrong. He just signed the deal. Yeah, he did. We always skew negative. We always do. I know. I know.

[Bridget Todd]

Why?

[Tony Fusco]

It's crazy.

[Dan Patrick]

How about we. How about we go around the room what we'd learned on the program? Todd, did you learn anything today?

[Tony Fusco]

I did. If you're going to make a mistake with Noah Eagle's dad's name, at least don't call him Ian. Don't call him Ian. He doesn't like that because Noah looks a lot like Iron Seaton.

[Bridget Todd]

Mike Golick has a new time slot.

[Dan Patrick]

No, we're not bringing it up. We're not bringing that up. And he works for a different company.

[Bridget Todd]

They exchanged.

[Tony Fusco]

It's Golic and Golic.

[Dan Patrick]

Todd, what did I learn today?

[Tony Fusco]

If you're Former Notre Dame running back Jerome Bettis admits he hates USC even more than he hates the Michigan.

[Dan Patrick]

For over 40 years, Tire Rack's been helping everybody find the right tires for how and what and where they drive. Ship fast and free, backed by free road hazard protection. Tirerack.com the way tire buying should be. Thank you, South Bend. Have a great weekend.

[Bridget Todd]

This is an iHeart podcast.