With the sports world reacting to the Notre Dame football team missing the College Football Playoff (CFP) this season, there is no doubt that an element of surprise, especially from the program itself. As there will be some disagreement with the decision of Notre Dame football being snubbed and with the Miami Hurricanes getting in, the reaction from the school is a visceral one.
ESPN's Jen Lada would report from the school's facility and detail how the team is feeling a sense of “shock and disbelief” and revealed how surprised athletic director Pete Bevacqua is with the committee's decision.
“It wasn't all that long after the announcement was made that Notre Dame would be the first team out of the playoff field that we saw players leaving the football facility,” Lada said. “All of them sort of in shock and disbelief.”
“It was intense during the rankings revealed, during the playoff bracket reveal,” Lada continued. “[Bevacqua] says, this is a team that feels like they had the rug pulled out from underneath them. He said they thought they had won, and they had won convincingly, only to find themselves on the outside looking.”
Reporting in South Bend, @JenLada says there is “frustration, sadness, shock, disbelief” at the Notre Dame facility.
Marcus Freeman was rather speechless in his team address.
ND AD Pete Bevacqua said any CFP rankings before the final ones are “a farce and total waste of time.” pic.twitter.com/QfxfHVD3jP
— Tyler Horka (@tbhorka) December 7, 2025
Notre Dame football's Marcus Freeman on the CFP snub
While the Notre Dame football team believes they've been snubbed after finishing the season 10-2, with Lada revealing that the athletic director said any rankings before the final one is a “farce,” with the Fighting Irish being No. 11. Consequently, head coach Marcus Freeman, who usually is a great messenger for his players, was unable to come up with any reason.
“He said Marcus did get up and speak to the team immediately afterward. Marcus, as we know, so eloquent, often such a great orator,” Lada said. “He said that usually he has answers or reasons for why these things happen. He has none. And that was unusual. He said he has no answers. It doesn't make sense. It doesn't add up why Notre Dame is not in this playoff field.”
At any rate, it has already been revealed that the school has declined to play in a bowl game this season.
