Overview
- The College Football Playoff committee moved Miami ahead of Notre Dame into the final at‑large spot, and Notre Dame then declined all bowl invitations.
- Athletic director Pete Bevacqua criticized the weekly ranking process as a “farce” and said the ACC’s advocacy for Miami inflicted “permanent damage” to its relationship with Notre Dame.
- Reporting confirmed by Bevacqua highlights a memorandum of understanding that will guarantee Notre Dame a playoff berth next year if it finishes inside the top 12.
- ACC commissioner Jim Phillips responded that the league values Notre Dame and defended supporting its member institutions, denying that the conference labeled the Irish unworthy.
- BYU publicly argued it was more deserving than Miami based on SOS and SOR metrics, while analysts such as Joel Klatt said the committee’s final choices were defensible.