I bet when Notre Dame first agreed to play at Clemson in 1977, Irish fans never thought that meeting, which was an instant classic by the way, would lead to the beginning of a pretty darn good rivalry.

Notre Dame has the largest fanbase in the country thanks to the Catholic Church, while Clemson is what Kirk Herbstreit calls a “little school” in the South that no one watches. However, Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua disagrees with Herbstreit’s assumption.

Bevacqua told the media this weekend, as his Irish get ready to take on Ohio State in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, that he would love to play the Tigers every year.

“When we play a team like Clemson, I think that has become such a great rivalry in such a short amount of time,” Bevacqua said. “I would tell you that’s the type of game I’d love to play every year.”

I am with Bevacqua, I think that is a great idea. Here is why.

It would give the ACC some creditability, which it desperately needs. Notre Dame is never going to join the ACC as a football member. That pipe dream has long passed and with the success the Irish had in the CFP this year, it only cemented it.

Notre Dame already has a scheduling arrangement with the ACC where the Irish mostly plays five ACC games each season. They played four in 2014 and 2022. However, unless Notre Dame is playing Clemson, those games was usually lopsided and in favor of the Irish.

The Irish is 47-6 against ACC teams not named Clemson since 2014, and just 2-4 against the Tigers, including losses in the 2019 CFP and the 2020 ACC Championship Game. At one point, beginning in 2018 and ending in 2023, Notre Dame won 31 straight regular season games against ACC competition.

You know who ended that streak?

You guessed it, Clemson.

So, you see why Notre Dame wants to play Clemson, the Tigers are the only ones in the conference that can consistently compete and beat the Irish. And because of that, it helps television ratings.

It makes for good TV.

It is easier for Notre Dame to sell Clemson to the folks at NBC than say Duke, Syracuse or Wake Forest. Clemson vs. Notre Dame is also a draw for ESPN and/or ABC.

When the Tigers and Irish play, the nation tunes in. There will be 4 million to 10 million viewers.

How does the game help the ACC?

If Clemson wins, it lifts up the credibility of the league. It also brings potential television revenue for the league every other year.

Clemson playing Notre Dame every year is a win-win all across he board. Notre Dame wants to play the Tigers, the ACC wants it and Clemson should want it.

Right now, Notre Dame is scheduled to play Clemson in 2027, 2028, 2031, 2034 and 2037.