Jeremiyah Love reveals reason that Notre Dame opted out of bowl game after CFP snub

Notre Dame RB and Heisman finalist Jeremiyah Love revealed the reason why they ended up opting out of a bowl game this winter. Following a College Football Playoff miss, the school decided to not play a postseason game and end the season 10-2.

AD Pete Bevacqua noted it was a one-off, as far as we know, and it is not necessarily indicative of future years. Plus, Notre Dame has a MOU in next year’s CFP if they are in the top 12, well they’re automatically in.

“It was kind of a full team decision, full consensus decision,” Love said on SportsCenter Saturday. “So our captains asked all of the players that they could, you know, what they think about the bowl games and things like that. And we all came to a consensus, or final decision, that we didn’t think that playing in that bowl game would really represent our 2025 football team in the right way. Because we feel like our team was just very special throughout the year, we did a lot of great things, and in that bowl game, a lot of people are going to opt out. A lot of people are just going to not play, or have their own plans … which, rightfully so. They have that right. 

“But we didn’t feel like that team that would go into that bowl game was a great representation of how special this 202  football team was. So we all came to a consensus of, you know, we don’t want to put this team in a bad light because we feel like it was a great team. We’re not saying playing in a bowl game would put us in a bad light, but it just wouldn’t be the best representation of our team. So that ultimately led us to come into that decision.”

It’s a shame for Notre Dame fans considering they might not see a player like Love again. He’s likely to head to the NFL for 2026 rather than come back, but that might not stop head coach Marcus Freeman from trying.

“I think it brings a lot of confidence to everybody in our program, that you know when you have that guy on the field and you can give him the ball, there’s multiple different ways that he can take the ball into the end zone,” Freeman said. “I’m just so proud of him. The football player he’s developed into, but more importantly, the man he’s become. Now, I’ve got to convince him to come back for one more year.”

Love emerged as a focal point of the Notre Dame offense as the Fighting Irish rattled off a 10-2 record in 2025. He took 199 carries for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground while adding 27 receptions for 280 yards and three touchdowns in the air. His 21 total touchdowns set a new single-season program record, passing Jerome Bettis in the process.