Florida’s decision to back out of its Notre Dame series is landing like a bad look at the exact moment the College Football Playoff is trying to push the sport toward more big-time nonconference matchups.
On Tuesday, On3’s Brett McMurphy reported that Florida has removed the home-and-home with Notre Dame that was set for 2031 and 2032. The Gators were able to get out of the agreement without paying a financial penalty by using a clause in the contract. The series had been signed before the SEC moved to nine conference games, and that scheduling change gave Florida an opening to walk away.
That matters because the CFP’s expanded format is supposed to encourage more Autonomy 4 teams to play one another. Instead, Florida appears to be taking the opposite route, even with the new committee rule that A4 schools must play 10 A4 games a year. The Gators already have Florida State on the schedule, and it looks as if the other two nonconference games will be filled by G6 or FCS opponents.
This is not a one-off move, either. Florida has already pulled several Autonomy 4 games off future slates as the SEC’s move to nine conference games became more likely. Series with Arizona State, California, and NC State have already disappeared.
The timing also stings for Notre Dame, because the Irish had just lined up a different A4 opponent. On the same day Florida backed out, Notre Dame reached a deal with Washington for an unusual home-and-home that starts in 2031 and then resumes in 2034. That arrangement effectively takes Florida’s place on the schedule.
Even so, Florida’s exit leaves Notre Dame with work to do for 2031. Right now, the Fighting Irish have USC, Washington, Clemson, NC State, Miami (FL), North Carolina, Pitt, and Virginia as the only A4 teams on that year’s schedule.
Navy and South Florida are also under contract. That means Notre Dame still needs to find two more A4 opponents.
The Irish usually end up with a demanding schedule anyway, in part because they know the criticism that comes with being independent. Their schedule includes an agreement with the ACC, and it often stacks up better than what many programs put together while still demanding that Notre Dame “join a conference.”
This season, Marcus Freeman’s team doesn’t play an FCS opponent at all. The only non-A4 teams on the schedule are Navy and Rice. So while A4 schools will soon be required to line up 10 Autonomy 4 games, Notre Dame already had 10 A4 opponents on its slate this season.
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Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asas day against Miami looked like more than just a breakout moment in the box score. He turned in the first sack by a Notre Dame linebacker this season, but the bigger development may have been how the Irish deployed him in the middle of the defense, where he handled the sideline communication duties and stayed on the field for a career-high 70 snaps.
For Notre Dame, that kind of workload matters because it came in a game where the defense was dictating terms from start to finish. The Irish generated 32 total pressures on Miami quarterback Darian Mensah and kept him from finding much rhythm, with Viliamu-Asa emerging as part of the front-line answer in a role that could give this defense a different edge as the season moves on. [Read more 🡒]
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For Notre Dame fans, the part that stood out was how quickly the comparison game started. Critics of Smiths view pointed to Utah and Notre Dame in the same breath, using the Irish schedule as part of the argument over perceived bias in ESPNs coverage and ranking discourse. It is the kind of debate that never really goes away in November, especially when the rankings are still fluid and every talking point seems to come with an agenda attached. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Defense Faces A Discipline Test In Crucial Boston College Spot
Notre Dames defense comes into the Boston College matchup riding the confidence of a strong showing against the No. 1 team, but the challenge now is less about proving it can rise to the moment and more about staying sharp against an offense that invites mistakes. Boubacar Traore and Christian Gray are among the key names in focus, with both expected to help the Irish attack the weak spots Boston College has shown on offense.
For Notre Dame, this is the kind of game where discipline matters as much as talent. The Irish are still in a position to keep their College Football Playoff hopes on track, and that means avoiding the lapses that can turn a manageable night into a frustrating one. Against Boston College, the defensive front and secondary will be tested in the details, and how well they handle those matchups could say plenty about where this group stands now. [Read more 🡒]