Why Notre Dame declined its bowl bid after CFB Playoff snub

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Notre Dame has played its last football game of the season, as the Fighting Irish announced on Sunday that it is withdrawing its name from bowl game consideration following their shocking exclusion from the 2025 College Football Playoff.

Marcus Freeman’s squad came away from Sunday’s CFB Playoff bracket reveal the biggest loser of the day, as Notre Dame fell out of the top 12 spots despite going 10-2 on the season. Given Notre Dame is independent and didn’t play for a conference title, it’s possible their overall record wasn’t as impressive to the committee as others this season despite their margin of defeat sitting at a mere four points. Still, ascribing meaning to the committee’s decisions feels meaningless considering Alabama made the cut despite being blown out in the SEC title game.

Out of all of that chaos, Notre Dame ultimately decided to stay home this winter instead of competing in the Pop-Tarts Bowl against BYU, with their message to fans signaling their commitment to winning a national title in 2026.

While it’s reasonable for Notre Dame to be upset about the quite egregious College Football Playoff snub, it feels a bit extreme to take your ball and go home here. Notre Dame could have used this snub as fuel for the Pop-Tarts Bowl and to showcase the program on a national stage. Plus, this abrupt end means the players end their season on a sour note instead of playing together for one more game.

We’ll have to see what Freeman and the rest of the Fighting Irish say about this decision going forward but the upcoming bowl season will no longer feature last year’s College Football Playoff runner ups.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Why Notre Dame declined its bowl bid after CFB Playoff snub

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