The College Football Playoff committee stirred up a storm this year, and at the center of it all is Notre Dame. Despite finishing the season on a 10-game winning streak and spending most of the year ranked ahead of Miami, the Fighting Irish found themselves on the outside looking in when the 12-team playoff field was finalized. The committee ultimately leaned on Miami’s head-to-head win over Notre Dame in Week 1-a decision that’s ignited plenty of debate across the college football landscape.
Notre Dame hasn’t exactly taken the snub quietly. The program has been vocal in its frustration, pointing to its strong finish and overall résumé. But not everyone is buying the outrage.
Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire, whose Red Raiders are gearing up to face No. 5 Oregon in the Orange Bowl quarterfinal on January 1, weighed in on the controversy-and he didn’t mince words.
His take? If Notre Dame wants to avoid this kind of situation in the future, it’s time to join a conference.
“It’s really tough, because you hate to eliminate anybody,” McGuire said. “But I do think that when you have a criteria of where you’re going to select a team, everybody should be in that same criteria.
So, and I don’t wanna make Notre Dame mad, but be in a conference, and you’re in the playoffs. If they’re in the ACC, they’re in the playoffs.”
That’s the crux of the issue. As an independent, Notre Dame isn’t eligible for an automatic playoff bid as a conference champion. And while their independent status gives them scheduling flexibility and a massive TV deal with NBC, it also leaves them vulnerable in situations like this-where a single early-season loss can outweigh a dominant stretch run.
Still, don’t expect the Irish to cave to the pressure. Starting next season, Notre Dame will be guaranteed a playoff spot if it finishes ranked in the top 12, thanks to a memorandum of understanding. That provision gives them a clear path into the expanded field without needing to tie themselves to a conference.
Calls for Notre Dame to join a league aren’t new, and McGuire certainly isn’t alone in that chorus. But with the program’s independence still backed by tradition, finances, and now a playoff pathway, it’s hard to see the Irish making a move to the ACC or Big Ten anytime soon.
The debate over independence versus conference affiliation isn’t going away, especially as the playoff era evolves. But for now, Notre Dame seems content to bet on itself-conference or no conference.