INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team has decided to not participate in a bowl game after being left out of the College Football Playoff (CFP). “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 attributed to the football team. “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 lost its first two games of the season to the 10th-ranked University of Miami and 7th-ranked Texas AM, which were selected by the CFP committee to compete in the 12-team tournament to determine a national champion. The Fighting Irish went on to win its last 10 games of the season, and was consistently ranked higher than Miami in CFP standings over the final weeks of the season. Immediately following Saturday’s conference championship games, which Notre Dame did not participate in due to its status as an independent, ESPN projected the Fighting Irish to play in the CFP as the 9th seed in a first-round matchup against 8th-ranked Oklahoma. Notre Dame was the first team left out of the playoff bracket, which was released Sunday afternoon. “There is no explanation that could possibly be given to explain the outcome,” Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua said in an interview with Yahoo Sports after the final CFP bracket was revealed. According to Yahoo Sports, Notre Dame will be guaranteed a playoff spot if it is ranked in the top 12 starting next season under a new agreement signed by CFP officials last spring. In 2024, the third full season under Head Coach Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame finished 11-1 in the regular season. The Irish won three games in the CFP to earn a spot in the CFP National Championship Game, ultimately losing to the Ohio State Buckeyes. Statement from the Notre Dame Football (Provided Photo/NDFootball via X) ...read more read less