Notre Dame Declines Bowl Game Invitation

Notre Dame didn’t get any recognition from the College Football Playoff Committee, and within a few hours, the school released a statement on Sunday denying invitations to other bowl games.

“As a team, we have decided to withdraw our name from consideration for a bowl game after the 2025 season,” the statement said. “I’m really thankful for the support from my family and fans, and I’m looking forward to bringing South Bend its 12th national title in 2026.”

This twist capped off what seemed like a solid day for the Fightin’ Irish.

The committee had to choose between removing Alabama, Notre Dame, or Miami from the at-large pool, which stirred up quite a bit of controversy.

The confusing part is that Notre Dame had just recently topped Miami in the rankings, and neither team played since that update. So, how did Miami end up surpassing Notre Dame during their bye week?

Both teams are now tied in the final standings, with Miami’s head-to-head win back in September serving to break the tie. Under different circumstances, this might not have stirred such a response.

Notre Dame’s athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, expressed his frustration with the situation, stating, “Any ranking or show prior to this last one is a complete joke and a waste of time.”

2025 College Football Playoff Opening Day:

Round 1

• Dec. 19, 8 p.m. ET, No. 9 Alabama vs. No. 8 Oklahoma
• Dec. 20, 12:00 p.m. ET, No. 10 Miami vs. No. 7 Texas A&M
• Dec. 20, 3:30 p.m. ET, No. 11 Tulane vs. No. 6 Ole Miss
• No. 12 James Madison at No. 5 Oregon, Dec. 20 at 7:30 p.m. ET

Quarterfinals

• No. 10 Miami/No. 7 Texas A&M vs. No. 2 Ohio State, Dec. 31, 7:30 p.m. ET
• No. 12 James Madison/No. 5 Oregon State vs. No. 4 Texas Tech, Jan. 1, 12:00 p.m. ET
• No. 9 Alabama/No. 8 Oklahoma vs. No. 1 Indiana, Jan. 1 at 4 p.m. ET
• No. 11 Tulane/No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 3 Georgia, Jan. 1, 8 p.m. ET

The Irish wrapped up their season with a disappointing 10-game losing streak, managing to lose two games to playoff teams Miami and Texas A&M by a combined total of just four points.

Just a year prior, Notre Dame was the national runner-up.