No. 11 Notre Dame football declines bowl game after College Football Playoff snub

Notre Dame was snubbed from the College Football Playoff, losing the right to play for a national championship. As a result, the Irish will take their ball and go home.

Fourth-year head coach Marcus Freeman‘s team has declined any bowl invitation it may receive. Its 2025 season is over.

“As a team, we’ve decided to withdraw our name from consideration for a bowl game following the 2025 season,” the program said in a statement. “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.”

Notre Dame went 10-2, rattling off 10-straight wins — all by 10 points or more — after its 0-2 start. The Irish were a College Football Playoff team each week the CFP Selection Committee revealed its rankings, except the only one that matters. Notre Dame fell behind No. 10 Miami on Sunday, despite neither team playing on Championship Saturday.

The Irish also fell behind No. 9 Alabama last week, after the former beat Stanford 49-20 and the latter beat Auburn 27-20. Despite losing 28-7 to Georgia in Saturday’s SEC championship game, the Crimson Tide stayed put in the final rankings.

In an interview with Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger, Notre Dame athletics director Pete Bevacqua made it clear that the Irish are shocked, saddened and furious at missing the CFP.

“There is no explanation that could possibly be given to explain the outcome,” Bevacqua told Dellenger. “As I said to Marcus, one thing is for sure: Any rankings or show prior to this last one is an absolute joke and a waste of time. Why put these young student-athletes through these false emotions just to pull the rug out from underneath them having not played a game in two weeks and then a group of people in a room shatter their dreams without explanation?

“We feel like the playoff was stolen from our student-athletes.”

Bevacqua said Freeman addressed the team after the playoff field was announced.

“Marcus said it perfectly: Usually there are reasons and answers and explanations, but we don’t have one for you with this,” Bevacqua says. “This is shocking and upsetting. An utter disbelief and sadness from our student-athletes, who were led to believe since the CFP rankings started of what they needed to do and did everything they were asked to do.”

If Notre Dame had accepted a bowl invitation, its most likely destination would have been the Pop-Tarts Bowl at 3:30 p.m. ET on Dec. 27 in Orlando, Fla. Instead, the calendar turns to 2026 in South Bend.