Notre Dame is declining a bowl invitation and ending its season following Sunday’s College Football Playoff snub, the school announced.
The Fighting Irish finished 10-2 and landed at No. 11 in the final CFP rankings, making them the first team left out of the expanded 12-team field. The decision caps an awful end to championship weekend for Notre Dame, which entered Saturday on the bubble after winning 10 straight games.
The Irish were projected for the Pop-Tarts Bowl against BYU, according to On3's Brett McMurphy, but the program said it will forgo postseason play.
“As a team, we’ve decided to withdraw our name from consideration for a bowl game following the 2025 season,” Notre Dame 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 Football (@NDFootball) December 7, 2025
Notre Dame’s omission came after Alabama moved up to No. 9 despite an SEC Championship Game loss, and Miami jumped to No. 10 based on its head-to-head victory over the Irish in Week 1. Because Tulane and James Madison claimed the final automatic bids as the two highest-ranked conference champions, Notre Dame became the first team out.
CFP chair Hunter Yurachek told ESPN the committee revisited Miami’s 27-24 win over the Irish before granting the Hurricanes the nod. Notre Dame is the third program to decline a bowl berth this postseason, joining Iowa State and Kansas State.
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