Notre Dame Makes Bowl Game Decision After College Football Playoff Snub

Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Notre Dame Makes Bowl Game Decision After College Football Playoff Snub

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jaron Spor | Last updated Dec 7, 2025 4:05 PM ET

The 2025 College Football Playoff field is finalized, and despite finishing the year with a 10-game winning streak, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish were excluded.

The Fighting Irish were surpassed by the Miami Hurricanes in the standings, even though neither team played this weekend. This change was likely due to the BYU Cougars losing 34-7 to the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Big 12 Championship Game. BYU was originally ranked just behind Notre Dame but ahead of Miami. With their loss, the standings placed Notre Dame and Miami next to each other. At that point, the committee decided to honor Miami's head-to-head victory over Notre Dame from the season opener.

Notre Dame lost to Miami 27-24 in the final minutes, 27-24. The Fighting Irish followed this with a 41-40 defeat at home against the Texas A&M Aggies, also in the final seconds, starting their season at 0-2.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love (4) runs the ball.Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

Since then, Notre Dame has become one of the top teams in college football. It won 10 consecutive games, including ranked matchups against the then-No. 20 USC Trojans , 34-24, and the then-No. 23 Pittsburgh Panthers, 37-15.

After being snubbed from the playoff field, the Fighting Irish announced they would not be playing in a bowl game. In a statement posted on social media, Notre Dame stated: "As a team, we've decided to withdraw our name from consideration for a bowl game following the 2025 season," the statement read. "We appreciate all the support from our families and fans, and we're hoping to bring the 12th national title to South Bend in 2026."

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— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) December 7, 2025

Notre Dame’s exclusion marks one of the most dramatic twists of this year’s playoff reveal, especially for a team that had battled back from a 0-2 start to become one of the hottest programs in the country. Instead of preparing for a bowl appearance, the Fighting Irish turn their attention toward next season, carrying both frustration and motivation into what they believe can be a championship run in 2026.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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