Less than a week after the College Football Playoff committee left Notre Dame out of its 12-team field, Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love offered a blunt assessment of where the program stands. He also gave a clear picture how it is perceived nationally.
“They’re scared to play us,” Love said during a media availability in New York City with the Heisman Trophy finalists. “They don’t want to play Notre Dame because we’re Notre Dame. You’re leaving us out of your schedule, it’s not a good look. Why not play us? That’s how I think about it.”
This came in response to athletic directors saying the Notre Dame could be shut out of future schedule negotiations.
#NotreDame RB Jeremiyah Love on rival ADs reportedly threatening to "freeze out" the Irish in future schedules:
— Mike BerardinoNDI (@MikeBerardino) December 12, 2025
"They’re scared to play us. They don’t want to play Notre Dame because we’re Notre Dame. You’re leaving us out of your schedule, it’s not a good look. Why not play…
Love spoke publicly for the first time since Notre Dame’s 2025 season ended abruptly despite a 10-game winning streak to close the year. The Irish started the season 0-2 with losses to Miami and Texas A&M, setbacks that ultimately proved decisive in the committee’s evaluation.
“Obviously we weren’t happy about it,” Love said. “Everybody at that time didn’t understand why, but once a few days went by, once some time passed by, we realized that we were only in that position because we put ourselves in that position.”
Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua said earlier this week the snub strained relationships with the CFP committee and the ACC, which publicly stumped for Miami ahead of the Irish. Notre Dame remains independent in football while playing five ACC opponents annually under a scheduling agreement set by the conference.
“All things can be healed,” Bevacqua said. “But it strained the relationship.”
Love said he has accepted the outcome, noting the Irish had opportunities to remove any doubt. “We controlled our own destiny,” he said. “At the end of the day we left it up to the committee.”
With the disappointment now behind him, Love said the focus has shifted forward. “We accept it and we’re ready to keep working,” he said. “We have to get right back to work and get prepared for the next season.”
Love is one of four Heisman Trophy finalists in New York with the winner being announced tomorrow night (8 p.m. ET, ABC).
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