2025 NCAA Football Thread

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by ResAlien

Notre Dame taking their ball and going home by announcing they are refusing to play in a bowl game this year. This is where you put the gif of Kobe saying "soft"

I hate to break it to you but bowl games are dead. There’s already been hundreds of players and at least half a dozen other teams decline bowl invites.

The group of schools and players who are still interested in bowl games is diminishing rapidly.

And that’s OK cause the playoff is gonna get big enough that non-CFP related ball games are going to go extinct.

[ResAlien]

Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua told ESPN that the program is in utter disbelief and shock after being left out of the 12-team College Football Playoff on Sunday.

As a result, the Fighting Irish said the team has made the decision to not participate in a bowl game this season.

"As a team, we've decided to withdraw our name from consideration for a bowl game following the 2025 season," said a statement credited to the 2025 Notre Dame Football Team. "We appreciate all the support from our families and fans, and we're hoping to bring the 12th national title to South Bend in 2026."

Soft.

https://www.espn.com/college-footbal...lled-rug-farce

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

I hate to break it to you but bowl games are dead. There’s already been hundreds of players and at least half a dozen other teams decline bowl invites.

The group of schools and players who are still interested in bowl games is diminishing rapidly.

And that’s OK cause the playoff is gonna get big enough that non-CFP related ball games are going to go extinct.

Only 2 teams im aware of that have declined are KState and Iowa State and thats because they both lost their HC at regular seasons end. The have both been fined heavily for it as well by the Big 12.

There is just way to much money involved for bowl games to go anywhere except up in popularity.

I hope ND never gets another invite again though cause its pure petulance on their part to remove their name from ANY bowl consideration....embarrassing really.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Bowls exist at this point primarily as an outlet for degenerate gamblers and for ESPN to fill some time slots. Nobody really cares anymore now that the playoff exists at the level it does and when it eventually grows again bowls will matter even less. But while it is kind of weak for Notre Dame to just bail, I do kind of get not wanting to go help ESPN make money off you while they just spent the past few weeks politicking against you being in the playoff.

[transplant99]

The programs make money as well....which is why the Big 12 fined the two schools mentioned, as all that $$ is shared among the conference.

ND as an independent doesnt carry that burden mind you, so i guess its easier for them to do so even if its a complete "taking my ball and going home" move.

They should just join the Big 10 and get it over with but Im guessing they dont like the idea of real competition compared to their current set up nor the idea of sharing football revenue.

[Strange Brew]

Rudy would have played the bowl game (he was still offside though).

Domers can watch the Notre Dame Daddy bowl from College Station on Saturday morning instead

[Sainters7]

Yeah I'm not crazy about them skipping the bowl game either. Given they announced it shortly after getting the news on the snub, I hoped maybe it was just a knee-jerk reaction, and in the coming days after processing, they'd change their minds on it.

I definitely get the frustration, as ND getting passed by 2 teams when they and Miami were at home, and Bama lost by 22, doesn't really make sense. Just makes the weekly rankings seem meaningless (aside from the final one). But I'd like to see them in a bowl game.

Just wild to go from "wow, they're peaking at the right time. Look out come playoffs", to "we'll never see Jeremiyah Love in Irish gear ever again" within a few hours..