Notre Dame: Playoff Contender or Bowl Game Participant?

The College Football Playoff teams and bowl game matchups have been announced, so where does that leave the Notre Dame Fighting Irish?

The Playoff consists of 12 teams selected by a committee, including conference champions and at-large teams. Notre Dame, being independent, must earn a spot as an at-large team. Teams that don’t make the Playoff with winning records above 6-6 qualify for bowl games. Notre Dame finished the regular season with a 10-2 record, beating a ranked USC team and losing close games to highly-ranked Texas A&M and Miami.

Did Notre Dame make the Playoff this year? No, the Irish did not make the cut for the 2025-2026 College Football Playoff, as the final rankings showed Notre Dame behind Miami due to a head-to-head loss earlier in the season.

For fans looking to watch Notre Dame, NBC is the exclusive home for all Notre Dame home games. Unfortunately, Notre Dame chose not to play in a bowl game this year and released a statement expressing their appreciation for their supporters and their hopes for a national title in 2026.

For more behind-the-scenes looks at the team’s season, check out the Peacock exclusive docu-series, Here Come the Irish, premiering December 8th. With all this in mind, stay tuned to NBC and Peacock for the latest on Notre Dame and Big Ten games throughout the season.