Notre Dame Declined to Play BYU in Pop-Tarts Bowl: Report

Notre Dame really pulled a move straight out of the loser playbook.

After getting left out of the College Football Playoff, the Irish were lined up to play BYU, another playoff snub, in the Pop-Tarts Bowl, which is legitimately one of the best matchups of bowl season. And instead of taking the field, they decided to throw a tantrum and pack it in. No trip to Orlando. No final game. Just a middle finger to the sport and a message that said, “If it’s not the playoff, we don’t care.”

That’s the energy of a spoiled program that’s gotten too used to being handed stuff they didn’t earn.

The Irish were 10-2, and yeah, the playoff field was stacked. They had a case, but not a strong one. That’s on them. The right move would’ve been to own your losses and go play one more game. Instead, they pulled the plug because their feelings were hurt.

You know who would’ve killed to play in the Pop-Tarts Bowl? Just about every team outside the playoff. It’s a primetime game, great opponent, big crowd, fun setting, and national spotlight. But Notre Dame couldn’t be bothered. That’s not pride. That’s quitting.

And don’t let them try to spin this into something noble. There’s nothing classy about saying no to a bowl game just because it’s not the playoff. If you’re a senior, that’s your last ride. If you’re a freshman, that’s another four weeks of practice and momentum heading into next season. For the guys who stuck it out and didn’t bail to the portal? You’re robbing them of a shot to end the year on their terms.

Now the Pop-Tarts Bowl will go on without them, and Notre Dame gets to sit at home while everybody else plays. They’re not being punished or anything. They’re just irrelevant in bowl season. That’s a worse fate than any playoff snub.

It’s wild that a program with so much history decided to duck out when things didn’t go its way. But hey, maybe Notre Dame’s just showing us who they are in this new era: loud when it’s convenient, silent when it matters.