The Notre Dame Fighting Irish, coached by Marcus Freeman, have formally announced their postseason plans, and fans are not impressed. On Sunday, Dec. 7, Nick Schultz published a report on the On3 X/Twitter page, stating that coach Freeman’s Fighting Irish have declined any invitation to play a bowl game after the 2025 college football regular season.
This came after the Fighting Irish were snubbed from this year’s collegiate football playoffs. As they are no longer in contention for the 2025 national championship, it seems that Notre Dame is not interested in playing out a final game this year and is instead shifting all its focus towards preparations for the 2026 campaign.
BREAKING: Notre Dame has declined its bowl invitation after being snubbed from the College Football Playoff👀https://t.co/TK7H8dyo52 pic.twitter.com/ShXobJHhPv
— On3 (@On3sports) December 7, 2025
College football fans online expressed their furious criticism over the Notre Dame program’s decision not to accept any bowl invitation in the 2025 postseason play.
“They didn’t qualify and now have a temper tantrum,” one user claimed.
“That is a dumb move,” another user shared.
“Good, they don’t even deserve the bowl game,” another said.
“Why are teams doing this? If I’m a senior I am absolutely gutted that I played my last game and didn’t even know it,” a user questioned.
Other X users urged the Fighting Irish to join a conference in college football to improve their overall program.
“Don’t be a bunch of babies omg. Join a f*cking conference,” one user wrote.
“Join a conference you big babies 😂😂😂,” another user posted with three laughing emojis.
“This is weaker than refusing to join a conference 😂,” a user pointed out with a laughing emoji.
The Fighting Irish finished with an overall record of 10-2 and were one of the top teams this year, despite not being in a conference. They finished the year with a 10-game win streak after dropping their first two games. They capped off their season with a 29-point victory over the Syracuse Orange, 49-20, at Stanford Stadium in Stanford, California.
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish Are Setting Their Sights On The 2026 NCAA Championship
In the official statement released by the Notre Dame Fighting Irish regarding their decision to skip any bowl game this year, they pointed out that they are doing it to prepare more extensively for the 2026 campaign in the hopes of winning the national title.
Nevertheless, they are appreciative of the support they have garnered from the Notre Dame faithful throughout the year.
“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 statement explained.
Read More: Notre Dame’s CFP Spot Not A Guaranteed Lock Despite Marcus Freeman, Jeremiyah Love’s Stellar 10-Game Winning Streak: Analyst
Also Read: Notre Dame Playoff Chances: Can Marcus Freeman and Co. Make the CFP Despite Two Losses?
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