What is next for Notre Dame? Fighting Irish decline bowl invitation after CFP snub

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What is next for Notre Dame? Fighting Irish decline bowl invitation after CFP snub

What is next for Notre Dame? Fighting Irish decline bowl invitation after CFP snub originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Notre Dame saw its hopes for a second straight berth in the College Football Playoff dashed Sunday when it was left out of the 12-team field.

A few hours later, Notre Dame announced it would not be going to a bowl.

The Fighting Irish issued a statement thanking fans for their support during the 2025 season and saying it hoped to bring a national title to South Bend in 2026.

Notre Dame was reportedly invited to play BYU in the Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando. Notre Dame was the highest-ranked team left out of the College Football Playoff field, and BYU was the second-highest.

Last season, Notre Dame was a No. 7 seed and hosted the first on-campus College Football Playoff Game. Notre Dame won three games and advanced to the national championship, where it lost to Ohio State.

Notre Dame is led by Heisman Trophy candidate Jeremiyah Love, who has rushed for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns, averaging 6.89 yards per carry. Notre Dame's defense, which struggled in losses to Miami and Texas A&M, gave up 14.3 points per game in its final 10 games.

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What other teams have opted out of bowls?

Kansas State and Iowa State have both decided not to participate in bowl games this postseason despite having the requisite victory totals. Kansas State (6-6) and Iowa State (8-4) have recently had coaching changes. Both schools will reportedly be fined $500,000 by the Big 12 conference for not attending a bowl game.

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When does Notre Dame play again?

Notre Dame opens next season against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisc., home of the Green Bay Packers. The game is on Sunday, Sept. 6 during Labor Day weekend. Notre Dame opened the 2025 season on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend at Miami.

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Who did Notre Dame lose to in 2025?

Notre Dame lost its first two games of the season. The Irish lost 24-21 at Miami on Aug. 31. The Hurricanes are the No. 10 seed in the CFP field. ND lost two weeks later, 41-40 to Texas A&M, the CFP's No. 7 seed.

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