Overview
- Selection chair Hunter Yurachek said Miami’s Week 1 win over Notre Dame became the deciding metric once the Hurricanes were moved ahead of BYU and compared side‑by‑side with the Irish.
- Notre Dame declined all bowl invitations following its exclusion, and coach Marcus Freeman was described as having “no answers” for the decision during the selection show.
- AD Pete Bevacqua said the ACC’s push for Miami caused “permanent damage” to its relationship with Notre Dame; commissioner Jim Phillips responded that the league must advocate for its 17 football‑playing members.
- Reporting by Yahoo Sports, which Bevacqua affirmed, revealed an MOU guaranteeing Notre Dame a CFP berth if ranked in the top 12 starting in 2026, with language addressing potential expansion scenarios.
- BYU publicly challenged the selections by posting SOS and SOR comparisons favoring its résumé over Miami’s; Miami opens at Texas A&M in the CFP first round, and BYU is slated to face Georgia Tech in the Pop‑Tarts Bowl.