Notre Dame missed the College Football Playoff and now finds itself in a heated public battle with conference commissioners across the sport.
Pete Bevacqua, Notre Dame’s athletic director, has spent recent days criticizing the ACC. He believes the conference actively lobbied behind the scenes to get Miami into the new 12-team playoff field instead of the Irish.
That frustration isn’t getting much sympathy from other conference leaders.
Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark openly criticized Bevacqua on Tuesday, calling his comments and approach unacceptable. Speaking to Sports Business Journal, Yormark didn’t hold back.
“I think his behavior has been egregious. He’s totally out of bounds in his approach. If he were in the room, I’d tell him the same thing. This is part of the system we all agree to.”
Translation: once the committee makes its picks, that’s it — even when it hurts.
Why Notre Dame Was Left Out
Despite finishing strong, Notre Dame’s playoff case had several problems the selection committee couldn’t overlook.
The biggest issue came early in the season. Losses to Miami and Texas A&M in the first two weeks stayed on the Irish’s record all year. Notre Dame bounced back and played really well down the stretch, but the committee clearly weighed those early losses heavily.
The head-to-head result against Miami proved decisive.
Both teams finished 10-2, but Miami’s Week 1 win over Notre Dame gave the Hurricanes the edge when final rankings were released.
Notre Dame’s independence also worked against them. Without a conference championship game, the Irish missed out on one more big-game opportunity that conference teams can use to improve their resumes late in the season.
BYU’s loss in its conference title game reshuffled the playoff picture. That opened the door for Miami to be compared directly against Notre Dame — a comparison that didn’t favor the Irish.
The Bigger Picture
Notre Dame’s exclusion shows the ongoing tension between independent programs and conference schools in the playoff era. The Irish remain one of college football’s most recognizable brands, but moments like this highlight the challenges that come with standing alone in a system built around conference champions and commissioners with shared interests.
For now, the decision stands, the debate rages on, and Notre Dame is left wondering if independence is worth the playoff price.
