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Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua laments the Fighting Irish had a potential College Football Playoff berth "stolen" by the selection committee, but doesn't expect there to be any legitimacy questions in 2026 and beyond. Bevacqua said Sunday language in a memorandum of understanding signed by Notre Dame last spring guarantees the Fighting Irish a playoff appearance if they rank inside the top 12 of the final poll.

In this scenario, Notre Dame would have been this season's final at-large selection over Miami. Notre Dame's playoff "assurance" for being ranked inside the top 12 doesn't go into effect until next season, according to Yahoo Sports. The Fighting Irish opted of bowl season altogether. Multiple sources confirmed to CBS Sports that the Pop-Tarts Bowl invited Notre Dame to play BYU and waited "several hours" before the Fighting Irish declined.

Notre Dame's 2026 scheduling will not win any awards, and should be one of college football's most favorable. Not all dates are finalized, but Notre Dame plays only three true road games — North Carolina, Syracuse and Purdue — and has neutral-site contests against Wisconsin and Navy.

The Midshipmen are the only team among those five that finished bowl-eligible, and Notre Dame has won eight straight in the rivalry series, including six by at least 20 points.

Notre Dame 2026 football schedule

vs. Wisconsin (Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wis.)

Sept. 6

vs. Rice

Sept. 12

vs. Michigan State

Sept. 19

at Purdue

Sept. 26

at North Carolina

Oct. 3

vs. SMU

TBA

at Syracuse

TBA

vs. Navy (Gilette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.)

Oct. 31

vs. Miami

Nov. 7

vs. Stanford

TBA

vs. Boston College

Nov. 21

vs. USC

TBA

Looking at the list of games for Notre Dame, you don't need sportsbooks to spit out future lines to know the Fighting Irish should be a heavy favorite in most of those matchups.

The Fighting Irish went 2-2 against ranked competition this season, beating USC and Pittsburgh down the stretch after losing to Miami and Texas A&M to open. The loss to the Aggies in South Bend was the final game of a two-year agreement with the Aggies.

Notre Dame's new MOU also states the Fighting Irish will be guaranteed a playoff berth by being ranked No. 13 or higher if the bracket expands to 14 teams.

While the committee chose Miami as the last-team-in, the decision to keep Alabama at No. 9 was also a sting for the Fighting Irish. The Crimson Tide were not docked for getting blown out by Georgia in the SEC Championship Game like BYU was after losing in similar fashion to Texas Tech in the Big 12 final.

That subjective ruling involving Alabama and Notre Dame is what ultimately pushed Miami one spot behind Notre Dame for the first time all season in the committee's rankings, per chair Hunter Yurachek.

The logic there doesn't make much sense, but nothing said publicly from this committee truly has.