Notre Dame Declines Bowl Game After Becoming First Team Left out of CFP
The Irish believed they earned their shot — then came the drop that changed the entire postseason outlook.
Published Dec. 8 2025, 10:21 a.m. ET
If you were waiting to see Notre Dame in some random Pop-Tarts-sponsored bowl this month, go ahead and clear your calendar — the Irish are done for the year. Notre Dame finished the 2025 regular season 10–2 and ranked No. 9 before conference championship weekend. According to AP News, the team rode a 10-game winning streak with an average margin of nearly 30 points.
Notre Dame claims 11 consensus national championships in football, more than any other program. The most recent national championship was in 1988, when Holtz’s team went 12–0 and beat West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl. They still haven’t won a national title in the CFP era, but they continue to chase one. This season, a few hours after the College Football Playoff bracket dropped, the team made a statement and shut the door on bowl season.
Why did Notre Dame decline a bowl game?
According to Reuters, three hours after the Irish were officially named the first team out of the new 12-team CFP, Notre Dame announced that it would not play in any bowl game. “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.”
Notre Dame specifically turned down an invitation to the Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando. The move came after the team believed it had done enough to secure a playoff spot. However, after the final rankings shakeup, the committee dropped them to No. 13, which made them the first team left out. Because Notre Dame competes as a football independent and not a full ACC member, the program also avoids the conference fines that Iowa State and Kansas State faced after declining bowl games following coaching changes, according to Yahoo Sports.
Why did Notre Dame not make the college football playoffs?
Heading into selection weekend, Notre Dame ranked ahead of Miami in every CFP poll. That changed after Texas Tech blew out BYU in the Big 12 title game. According to Reuters, that moved Miami ahead of BYU and set up a direct head-to-head comparison between Notre Dame and Miami for the final at-large spot.
Committee chair Hunter Yurachek said once the two teams landed side by side, their schedules and results looked nearly identical. The group turned to the head-to-head result to break the tie. Miami had beaten Notre Dame 27–24 in Week 1 in Coral Gables. Yurachek told AP News the committee rewatched that game and felt “there was a little bit more athleticism on the side of Miami versus Notre Dame.” The Hurricanes earned the No. 10 seed. Notre Dame slid to No. 13 and fell out of the bracket.
But some say the real culprit was Notre Dame’s 0–2 start, with both losses coming to playoff teams Miami and Texas A&M by a combined four points. Even though the Irish ripped off 10 straight wins afterward, the early hole gave the committee an excuse to lean toward teams with cleaner resumes.