The College Football Playoff selection committee left Notre Dame out of the 12-team field, ending the Fighting Irish’s hopes of returning to the national championship game after reaching the title game last season.
Notre Dame Athletic Director Pete Bevacqua expressed shock at the decision following Sunday’s bracket reveal.
“My feelings and the feelings here are just shock and, really, an absolute sense of sadness for our student-athletes,” Bevacqua told Yahoo Sports. “Overwhelming shock and sadness. Like a collective feeling that we were all just punched in the stomach.”
“Any rankings or show prior to this last one is an absolute joke and a waste of time. Why put these young student-athletes through these false emotions just to pull the rug out from underneath them having not played a game in two weeks and then a group of people in a room shatter their dreams without explanation? We feel like the playoff was stolen from our student-athletes.”
The Fighting Irish finished 10-2 after losing their first two games to Miami and Texas A&M. Notre Dame then won 10 straight games to close the regular season.
Marcus Freeman’s team appeared positioned for a playoff spot entering championship weekend. The committee had kept Notre Dame in the field throughout the final weeks of the regular season.
Head-to-Head Loss Proves Decisive
The committee ultimately couldn’t overlook Notre Dame’s season-opening loss to Miami. The Hurricanes earned the final spot in the 12-team bracket.
For weeks, the committee ranked Notre Dame ahead of Miami despite the Hurricanes’ head-to-head victory. Committee officials argued they were comparing teams in pairs rather than directly against each other when they weren’t ranked consecutively.
Championship weekend changed that dynamic.
BYU’s loss in the Big 12 Championship allowed Miami to jump the Cougars in the rankings. This moved the Hurricanes within one spot of Notre Dame, forcing a direct comparison between the teams.
Once the committee had to choose between Miami and Notre Dame for the final spot, the Hurricanes’ season-opening victory became the deciding factor.
.@CFBPlayoff Selection Committee chair Hunter Yurachek breaks down what went into the decision for 10-seed Miami to make the playoffs pic.twitter.com/DFo7K18Wna
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) December 7, 2025
Alabama also remained in the field despite getting blown out in the SEC Championship game. The committee valued the Crimson Tide reaching the conference title game and didn’t want to punish them for playing an extra game while Notre Dame was idle.
Alabama’s road victory over Georgia was viewed as the most impressive win of the season by any team.
Notre Dame’s Two Losses
The Fighting Irish lost 27-24 at Miami on August 31 and fell 41-40 at home to Texas A&M on September 13. Both teams finished the season ranked in the top 10.
Notre Dame’s 10-game winning streak included victories over USC, Navy, and a 70-7 blowout of Syracuse.
Independent Status
Notre Dame competes as an independent in college football rather than joining a conference. The Fighting Irish maintain their own television deal with NBC and prefer the scheduling flexibility that comes with independent status.
This arrangement allows Notre Dame to create its own schedule each season rather than being bound by conference scheduling requirements.
Notre Dame’s 2025 Season Results
| Date | Opponent | Result |
| 8/31 | @ Miami | L, 27-24 |
| 9/13 | vs. Texas A&M | L, 41-40 |
| 9/20 | vs. Purdue | W, 56-30 |
| 9/27 | @ Arkansas | W, 56-13 |
| 10/4 | vs. Boise State | W, 28-7 |
| 10/11 | vs. NC State | W, 36-7 |
| 10/18 | vs. USC | W, 34-24 |
| 11/1 | @ Boston College | W, 25-10 |
| 11/8 | vs. Navy | W, 49-10 |
| 11/15 | @ Pittsburgh | W, 37-15 |
| 11/22 | vs. Syracuse | W, 70-7 |
| 11/29 | @ Stanford | W, 49-20 |
