College Football World Reacts to Notre Dame Being Snubbed From College Football Playoffs

Notre Dame was not included in this year’s College Football Playoff bracket. | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

On Sunday, the full field for the 2025 College Football Playoff was revealed. After many weeks of intense debate, discussion, and politicking from head coaches everywhere the bracket is finally set. And the biggest snub, by far, was Notre Dame.

There was significant debate leading into Sunday’s selection show about whether Notre Dame or Miami deserved inclusion in the CFP bracket. The resumes for both teams were very, very similar for one of the few at-large bids available. They both finished 10-2 with some outstanding wins on the resume. Neither participated in a conference championship game, however; the Hurricanes missed out on the ACC championship game while the Fighting Irish do not belong to a conference.

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Miami’s one trump card was a head-to-head win over Notre Dame in Week 1. But that didn’t seem to hold much influence with the College Football Playoff committee, who ranked Notre Dame above Miami in every CFP ranking released since early November.

Until today. When it was time to make the final call, the committee went with the Hurricanes instead of the Fighting Irish.

THE STAGE IS SET 🏆 pic.twitter.com/RJNdAkzrcE

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) December 7, 2025

The college football world reacted strongly to the committee’s decision to leave Notre Dame out of this year’s playoff field.

The committee flipping Notre Dame and Miami without anything changing between those two teams last week is one of the greatest shams in the history of the playoff. What a total joke.

I think that Miami should have been over Notre Dame, but then they should have been last week

— Shehan Jeyarajah (@ShehanJeyarajah) December 7, 2025

So, BYU was penalized for getting blown out in its conference championship game (dropped one spot). Which allowed Miami to move up and get compared directly to Notre Dame.

But Alabama was not penalized for getting blown out in its conference championship game.

— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) December 7, 2025

Miami leapfrogs Notre Dame. A just decision given the head-to-head and similar résumés — and makes a mockery of the committee's insistence on having a weekly rankings show to begin with. The CFP did this to itself. This is a non-issue if you never release a bracket until today.

— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) December 7, 2025

Notre Dame gets left out of the CFP…

The Irish won 10 straight, were ranked ahead of Miami for weeks, and their only losses were Week 1 to No. 10 Miami and Week 2 to No. 7 Texas A&M by a combined four points.

Ridiculous decision. One of the best teams in the country. pic.twitter.com/VxlcCqvROo

— College Football Report (@CFBReport) December 7, 2025

The CFP Committee remembering Miami already played and beat Notre Damepic.twitter.com/jA6CEO0s6E

— Underdog (@Underdog) December 7, 2025

Good for the committee.

I think Notre Dame is a better team than Miami. But winning head-to-head has to mean something. It's what's best for the sport, too.

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) December 7, 2025

Absolutely a JOKE that @NDFootball is not part of the college football playoff/ the Irish have dominated 10 in a row after a heartbreaking 1 point loss to @AggieFootball What football is the committee watching, somebody tell me please.

— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) December 7, 2025

Bravo CFB Playoff Committee for honoring the H2H with Miami and Notre Dame.

— Peter Burns (@PeterBurnsESPN) December 7, 2025

There is no way in which a three loss Alabama team deserves to be in the playoffs over Notre Dame.

The amount of SEC bias that ESPN has is absolutely ridiculous.

This is such a joke.

— Caleb Conrad (@CalebConrad23) December 7, 2025

I'm sad for this @NDFootball who battled their asses off and even more sad we've probably seen the last of Jeremiyah Love in an ND uniform.

— Mike Golic Jr (@mikegolicjr) December 7, 2025

Alabama is in but Notre Dame is out pic.twitter.com/BnKFMzXlkc

— tik (@twosuh) December 7, 2025

Miami deserved to be in....glad they get the chance.

But now Notre Dame got screwed. They should have been in over Alabama.

— Danny Kanell (@dannykanell) December 7, 2025

after years and years and years and years of hating on Notre Dame and yelling about how the Playoff committee was wrongly including them in the field ...
...
...
Irish, you have my sword, I will fight for you

— Rodger Sherman (@rodger) December 7, 2025

The CFP selection process is a joke.
Punish BYU for losing the conference championship game, but don’t punish Alabama and you leave out Notre Dame. The bias has never been more clear. https://t.co/3pai2QGJ8W

— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) December 7, 2025

A tough reality for fans of the Fighting Irish and clearly the most controversial decision made by this year’s CFP committee.

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