Early in the month, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish announced they wouldn’t be playing in the Pop-Tarts Bowl, to which they had been invited. They were supposed to play the BYU Cougars, the other team left out of the College Football Playoff. The game had raised the attention of the fans and had been dubbed the “Holy War” for the Irish and the Cougars’ association with Catholicism and Mormonism, respectively.
The Cougars will have to contend with playing the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, as Marcus Freeman’s team made a consensus choice not to play in the postseason, after they passed over for the College Football Playoff in favor of the Miami Hurricanes.
Football pundit RJ Young believes this was the wrong choice for the school. In his Monday episode of “Adapt & Respond RJ Young: College Football”, Young said the following about the decision:
“They simply wanted to pout about not being invited to the College Football Playoff. That in and of itself is reason to be upset with Notre Dame. Because you’re acting elitist to the rest of college football.” (2:20)
Young went on to dissect why the Fighting Irish’s attitude was so damaging to the sport. According to the pundit, Notre Dame seems to operate under the belief that if they finish in the Top 12, they should be invited to the College Football Playoff. He also stated other schools had as much a case to be invited as them. Vanderbilt, for example, and more importantly, the BYU Cougars, who, with a record of 11-2, had more victories than the Fighting Irish.
What Did Notre Dame Say About Skipping The Pop-Tarts Bowl?
The Fighting Irish barely explained their decision to skip the postseason in 2026. Their statement about the decision read:
“As a team, we’ve decided to withdraw our name from consideration for a bowl game following the 2025 season. 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.”
The College Football Committee, in the form of chairman Hunter Yurachek, did explain their reasoning for leaving the Irish out of the tournament. Once Miami moved up, it was impossible to rank them below Notre Dame, considering they had beaten the Irish in the regular season.
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