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Notre Dame Confirms Top‑12 CFP Access MOU After Snub, Says ACC Ties ‘Strained’

A campus briefing by AD Pete Bevacqua confirmed a 2026 top‑12 access guarantee under the current format, casting the ACC’s lobbying for Miami as a breach that strained Notre Dame’s partnership.

Overview

  • Miami edged Notre Dame for the final at‑large spot after BYU’s title‑game loss set up a side‑by‑side review, and CFP chair Hunter Yurachek said a rewatch made head‑to‑head the deciding metric.
  • Notre Dame declined all bowl invitations, which Bevacqua described as a one‑season choice to keep the 2025 roster intact after the playoff exclusion.
  • Bevacqua criticized the ACC’s public case for Miami, pointing to conference graphics and repeated game replays, while commissioner Jim Phillips defended advocating for member schools.
  • Bevacqua said Notre Dame has an MOU that guarantees a berth next season if it finishes in the CFP top 12 while the bracket remains at 12 teams, with any format change requiring new terms.
  • Pushback grew beyond the ACC as Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark called Bevacqua’s conduct “egregious,” highlighting widening rifts over the selection and its fallout.