What Everyone Is Getting Wrong About Notre Dame’s 2026 Schedule
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The Notre Dame 2026 football schedule came out, the College Football Playoff gave the program a sweetheart of a deal, and, shock of shocks, people are mad about both.
There’s a part of this to be grouchy about, and there’s another aspect that those who don’t particularly like about the Notre Dame program are getting wrong. | @PeteFiutak
The Notre Dame 2026 Schedule Is (probably) Better Than You Think
I spent WAY too much of my day going back and forth with people on various social media platforms – the offseason has come too fast – as I somehow set the dial to full Notre Dame football meatball fan mode.
I love all 136 FBS college football programs equally – which is a lie, but it’s something I have to say – and I’m certainly going to be dead-straight honest when it comes to all things Notre Dame.
On the Notre Dame football schedule, it’s facing ten Power Four teams, a Navy squad coming off an 11-win season, Rice, and no, it isn’t facing any FCS teams.
Notre Dame’s schedules are made years in advance
Notre Dame already has a bulk of the 2034 schedule set up – that’s nine seasons from now.
Imagine people complaining nine years ago about the Irish putting Wisconsin on the schedule after a 13-1 Badger season.
The 2017 Michigan State team went 10-3, Purdue and Boston College had winning seasons, Miami won ten games, and Stanford won nine.
Not all parts of the 2026 Notre Dame football schedule were created that long ago, but you get the point, because …
Notre Dame faces only four teams that finished with winning records
But remember, it wasn’t all that long ago that Wisconsin was Wisconsin – it’s coming off a bad mini-run. It should be better.
North Carolina was a perennial bowl team with ACC juice. It’s coming off a bad year.
Michigan State is coming off an awful season, so is Boston College, and so are Syracuse and Purdue.
But remember, the Spartans won 11 games in 2021, the Eagles were steadily okay for years, the Orange won ten games in 2024, and, totally forgotten, the Boilermakers played for the 2022 Big Ten Championship.
These things change fast. It’s not Notre Dame’s fault that a slew of the teams on the upcoming slate are bad now.
Notre Dame is playing at BYU
And it has to deal with Miami.
SMU is dangerous, and yeah, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Purdue, North Carolina, Stanford, Boston College, and Syracuse should all be better than they were in 2025.
Again, not all that long ago, this schedule would’ve looked solid. But coming off of 2025? Yeah, not great, so …
Does Notre Dame Really Have to Join a Conference?
Notre Dame is in a conference
It’s the common cry from those who don’t like the special treatment Notre Dame receives?
“Notre Dame should join a conference!”
Why? Seriously, why do you care, America? (I’ll point out why you sort of should in a moment.)
It has a Friends With Benefits deal with the ACC, and it doesn’t get to pick the teams it plays. Coming up this year, the Irish will face North Carolina, Stanford, Miami, Boston College, SMU, and Syracuse.
Six games. Notre Dame is playing six conference games, and it’s going to BYU, and it’s playing Wisconsin in Green Bay, and it’s going to Purdue, and it’s facing Michigan State, and it’s dealing with a strong Navy team in Boston.
That’s not bad for an independent.
“But Notre Dame doesn’t have to play in a conference championship game!”
Miami didn’t play in the ACC Championship this season, and has never won an ACC title – it only appeared in the thing once.
Did anyone care about Duke beating Virginia when the Hurricanes were one bad throw away from possibly winning the national title? No.
Were SEC fans complaining about Oklahoma getting a College Football Playoff home game over an Alabama team that played in the SEC Championship? How about Texas A&M getting a home game when it didn’t play in the conference title game, either?
Here’s What College Football Fans Should Actually Be Mad About With Notre Dame
Two things really are wrong with the Notre Dame situation
The first is the sweetheart of a deal made with the College Football Playoff – which was approved by all ten conferences, by the way.
If Notre Dame is ranked in the top 12 of the final College Football Playoff rankings, it gets an automatic playoff spot – and that’s not right.
Along with all four Power Four conference champions getting in, that means Miami would’ve been out of last season’s playoff.
No, it wouldn’t be fair for an Irish team ranked 12th to be in over a team ranked 11th, just because, and it really wouldn’t be right if a Power Four champion was ranked outside the top 12, and it, along with No. 11/12 Notre Dame, knocked out the No. 10 and/or 11 teams. And now …
The College Football Playoff committee is put in a horrible spot
Structurally, this is the thing to be really mad about.
The committee record ranks.
If Notre Dame had played Texas State instead of Texas A&M, it probably would’ve been 11-1, and in.
The CFP committee is supposed to take all the data and all the available information and rank the top 25 teams based on what they believe. It’s a flawed system, but it’s what we have.
What the committee is not supposed to do is rank teams based on what the tournament should be. It should rank teams 1-25, and then let the chips fall where they may.
What happens if and when Notre Dame is 12? There will be screaming.
What happens if Notre Dame is 13? There will be screaming.
All of a sudden, the committee has to take into account those teams ranked just ahead of the Irish, and just behind …
Like it did this last season, when it went by one set of criteria and facts for Alabama, and another for BYU, and that pushed Miami up into the playoff and Notre Dame out.
Of course, college football fans are going to be mad, because …
So now, Notre Dame has a favorable schedule and a big sloppy hug from the College Football Playoff … it doesn’t feel right, even though everything should be okay.
Notre Dame basically has the same deal as most of the other Power Four teams. Go 11-1, get into the expanded playoff. Go 10-2, and it’s up to the committee to do its job.
Welcome to the 2026 college football offseason, everyone. We’re off to a roaring start.
Related: Notre Dame Football 2026 Schedule: Full Breakdown and Season Outlook
This story was originally published by College Football News on Jan 24, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add College Football News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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