Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua thinks there’s a simple solution to politicking for College Football Playoff spots: expansion.

He was still upset Tuesday about the selection committee’s decision to bypass the Fighting Irish from the 12-team playoff field and the public campaigning by the Atlantic Coast Conference to get full-time league member Miami a spot. He then called a 16-team format the perfect number.

“It should be 16 teams in my opinion, with five automatic qualifiers and 11 at-large teams,” Bevacqua said as he fielded questions for nearly 40 minutes. “What I like about 16 is it creates more opportunity, more narratives around schools and yet it preserves the integrity and importance of the regular season.”

Bevacqua did not back off the complaints that have permeated

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