In a shocking turn of events, Marcus Freeman’s Notre Dame Fighting Irish were left out of the College Football Playoffs on Selection Day. Shortly after, the program reacted with a blunt decision in the 2025 NCAA season.
Following the controversial decision by the CFP Selection Committee to leave Notre Dame out of the 12-team College Football Playoffs bracket, the Fighting Irish (10-2) have decided to opt out of their bowl game in the 2025 NCAA campaign.
“As a team, we’ve decided to withdraw out name from consideration for a bowl game following the 2025 season. We appreciate all the support from out families and fans, and we’re hoping to bring the 12th national title to South Bend in 2026,” the school’s official statement read.
Controversial decision to leave Notre Dame out
Coming into Conference Championship Saturday in college football, the Selection Committee had Notre Dame ranked above the Miami Hurricanes. However, after a weekend in which neither school played, the Committee suddenly changed its mind and decided the Canes were more deserving of the postseason berth than the Irish. In the end, the head-to-head result played a major role, with Miami’s Week 1 win over Notre Dame reigning supreme.
Marcus Freeman of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in South Bend, Indiana.
While that’s a reasonable argument, there was no explanation as to what actually changed during the week for the Hurricanes to be sent to the playoffs instead of the Fighting Irish. The CFP Selection Committee eventually broke its silence on the decision to send Alabama and Miami over Notre Dame, but fans in South Bend are far from satisfied with the explanation.
see also
Why are Arch Manning and Texas Longhorns not playing the 2025 College Football Playoffs?
When was the last time Notre Dame didn’t play a bowl game?
College football fans may firmly oppose Notre Dame’s longtime stance on not joining a conference, but it has undeniably led to plenty of success for the program in Indiana. As a result, six-win seasons are virtually a gimme for the Fighting Irish.
Though for very different reasons, Notre Dame is now ending a long streak of consecutive bowl appearances. The last time the Irish finished an NCAA campaign without making a postseason appearance was in 2016, when they closed the year with a 4-8 record under Brian Kelly.
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Which of the three teams in contention should have been left out by the CFP Committee?
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