Pete Bevacqua on a changing era for college athletics

At Notre Dame, “choose hard” has become more than a mantra for the football team. It speaks to something deeply rooted at this University: the belief that the more demanding path is often the one most worth pursuing. As the Fighting Irish prepare to open the season against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field, that sense of purpose is once again bringing the Notre Dame family together.

In this episode of For Good, Pete Bevacqua, the James E. Rohr Director of Athletics, shares how the “choose hard” mindset is shaping Notre Dame Athletics at a pivotal moment in college sports—from preserving Notre Dame’s distinctive independence to making transformational investments in the student-athlete experience, facilities, and partnerships.

Join us as Pete reflects on the extraordinary convening power of Notre Dame Athletics, the inspiring young people at the heart of its programs, and why, amid all the uncertainty surrounding college sports, he remains hopeful about what comes next.

New episodes of For Good: Stories from Notre Dame drop on select weekdays at giving.nd.edu/stories and the ND Loyal YouTube channel. You can also listen to the podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

A sincere thank you to the Notre Dame family for making stories like these possible! It’s because of you that Notre Dame is such a powerful force for good in the world.