Notre Dame AD Pete Bevacqua applauds bowl game opt-out decision, explains process after playoff snub

The Fighting Irish passed on the postseason opportunity after being left out of the College Football Playoff

After the College Football Playoff selection committee controversially excluded Notre Dame from the 12-team bracket, the Fighting Irish made an eyebrow-raising move of their own, opting out of bowl consideration. Notre Dame was not the only team to forgo its postseason opportunity -- Iowa State and Kansas State also notably passed on their eligibility, among others -- but it is now at the center of the conversation about bowl season's long-term future.

With its 10-2 record at No. 11 ranking, Notre Dame would have been a top candidate for the most prestigious non-playoff bowls. But as the CFP continues to diminish the value of bowl games, the Fighting Irish's bracket snub played a key role in their election to call it a season and cast further doubt on the sustainability of the traditional bowl format.

"It was a decision that I applaud," Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua said in a Tuesday press conference. "I think it was a hard decision. I think they knew it was going to be a hard decision. I think they knew it was going to be a decision that not everybody was going to love. But it was the right decision for this team at this moment. I'm positive of that."

Bevacqua said that in addition to the CFP snub, Notre Dame also weighed the value of allowing its players to focus on final exams and to return home for the holidays in assessing its desire to play in a bowl game. The decision largely rested on the shoulders of the team captains, with whom coach Marcus Freeman consulted in making the decision.

"The unanimous message that came back was we are such a close team, those guys in that locker room, that they want to make sure that the last team that took the field as part of the 2025 Notre Dame season was the same team that took the field when we got off the plane in Miami (for the season opener)," Bevacqua said. "They didn't feel it was right for this team to make the decision to go out there and not be that full team that has been so close together."

Notre Dame's move set a precedent that other teams may follow in the years to come. It is already common for players on non-playoff teams to opt out of bowl games and instead begin their pursuit of NFL careers or opportunities through the transfer portal. Now that entire teams have begun to decline postseason berths, Pandora's box may be open for good.

Reaching the playoff will become a touch easier for Notre Dame starting next season. A memorandum of understanding signed by the university states that the Fighting Irish will be assured a playoff berth if it ranks inside the top 12. Had that clause gone into effect in 2025, the No. 11-ranked Fighting Irish would not have had a bowl decision to make in the first place.