CFB ADs Reportedly ‘Threatening’ to Stop Scheduling Notre Dame amid CFP Rule Change

A new College Football Playoff rule change that favors Notre Dame could lead to teams avoiding playing the Fighting Irish in the coming seasons.

According to Yahoo Sports’ Dan Wolken, athletic directors “are threatening to freeze” Notre Dame out of future schedules over the new rule.

Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua said earlier this week that the memorandum of understanding the Fighting Irish signed with the CFP guarantees the program a spot in the field if it is ranked in the top 12 starting in 2026. Bevacqua also said the Fighting Irish will be included in the field if they’re in the top 13 if the CFP expands to 14 teams.

The MOU only covers a 12- or 14-team playoff, however, so if it expands beyond that, Notre Dame will not have a guaranteed spot.

The new rule came after the Fighting Irish finished 11th in the final CFP rankings, missing the Playoff despite having a 10-2 record. Notre Dame’s only losses came to Miami and Texas A&M, both of whom made the Playoff.

A handful of teams with two or more losses made the CFP over Notre Dame, including Alabama, which finished 10-3. The Crimson Tide have arguably the worst loss of anyone in the field, as they dropped their season opener to 5-7 Florida State. Alabama also did not change positions after a blowout loss to Georgia in the SEC championship.

“My feelings and the feelings here are just shock and, really, an absolute sense of sadness for our student-athletes,” Bevacqua told Yahoo Sports. “Overwhelming shock and sadness. Like a collective feeling that we were all just punched in the stomach.”

Notre Dame opted out of its bowl game after missing the Playoff.

While the rule change doesn’t do anything for the Fighting Irish this season, Bevacqua, Marcus Freeman and the rest of Notre Dame can rest assured knowing if they have the same result next year, they’ll have the chance to compete for a title.