IrishIllustrated.com Insider Irish Illustrated Insider: Notre Dame’s Polarizing Week off the Field
Dec 11, 2025
The hosts dive deep into Notre Dame's playoff snub, unpacking Pete Bavacqua's controversial comments and the fallout from his press conference. They discuss the implications of Notre Dame's independent scheduling and the potential of a 16-team playoff format. The panel also addresses the timing behind opting out of bowl games, and the impact of player injuries on decisions. Additionally, there's a look into recruiting strategies and portal predictions, alongside the future of Marcus Freeman as head coach. Historical season endings are revisited, questioning if the latest season was a success.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Athletic Director's Public Fury Cut Both Ways
- Pete Bavacqua publicly expressed intense anger about Notre Dame being left out of the playoff and committed to revisiting Marcus Freeman's contract annually.
- His strong, unscripted defense of the program signaled deep personal investment but created PR risks when he denied involvement in contract talks.
MOU Leak Hurt Notre Dame More Than Snub
- Leaking details of the MOU (memorandum of understanding) damaged Notre Dame's image and fueled accusations of seeking special treatment.
- That leak caused more national backlash than the playoff snub itself, making Notre Dame look like it wanted extra guardrails.
Independence Creates Scheduling Headaches
- Notre Dame's schedule quirks — opening and closing on the road and facing many power-conference opponents — create challenges unique to an independent program.
- Those scheduling constraints can disadvantage the coach and contributed to criticism of the 2025 season makeup.