Illinois head coach Bret Bielema is enjoying a pretty good run with the Illini on the field. Off the field, he tends to use social media like someone who believes those fake AI stories posted on Facebook about a player giving a million dollars to his favorite high school janitor. Bielema's less than impressive social media approach was on full display on Thursday when he decided to try and attack the Notre Dame football program.
Bielema saw a video of Irish AD Pete Bevacqua testifying on Wednesday in front of congress about the Save College Sports Act. The video, posted by On3's Andy Staples showed a clip of Bevacqua talking about the possibility of conferences like the Big Ten and the SEC joining to become a "super conference." In the clip, the AD makes it clear he doesn't want to see anything like a super conference but lays out why networks would find it attractive.
"If you wanted to maximize media value around college football, I think you would take 24 to 30 teams, create unbelievably competitive scheduling where a team like Notre Dame would play Alabama, Georgia, Penn State, Ohio, State, Michigan and start to get a number that more closely resembles an NFL number," the Notre Dame athletic director said. And it's here where Bielema seemed to completely miss the point while trying to take a shot at Bevacqua.
"Some guys really like to talk about something that could happen and who they might play…. Actually it’s pretty easy just join a conference," Bielema wrote on Twitter.
Some guys really like to talk about something that could happen and who they might play…. Actually it’s pretty easy just join a conference 🤷♂️👊🤷♂️ https://t.co/QMh8KEMiR3
— Bret Bielema (@BretBielema) June 4, 2026
Bret Bielema’s Notre Dame football jab completely missed Pete Bevacqua’s point
The problem with that particular comment is that Bevacqua was explicitly talking about the possibility of a super conference, and in this scenario, the Irish would almost certainly be a part of it, because that's where all the money would be. That's only part of why the attempted insult was one of the sillier comments on Wednesday's Senate hearing.
It's also worth pointing out that ADs always talk about "potentially playing" one team or another. It's a major part of their job actually, considering schedules for future seasons are always in flux. One need look no further than the feud between Texas Tech and Texas that's surfaced this week about who the Red Raiders play and whether the two schools might take each other on in the near future.
Both Texas Tech and Texas belong to conferences, by the way.
The bigger picture behind these kind of comments is that certain foes feel a certain bit of jealousy aimed at Notre Dame because the school has its own broadcasting deal that allows it to compete revenue-wise with Big Ten and SEC schools. And the Irish get that kind of money while not having to deal with the headaches of being locked into a conference.
Bielema's weak, used up insult aside, the Illini coach was taking aim at Bevacqua who was arguing against a system that would see Illinois likely left out in the cold. If "Super Conferences" combined schools from the SEC, the Big Ten and Notre Dame, there's no guarantee at all that anyone would ask Illinois to join.
Add us as a preferred source on Google