Instead of preparing for the College Football Playoffs, Notre Dame continues to be in the news for unwanted reasons.
Among the latest issues is the possibility that athletic directors from other schools “are threatening to freeze [Notre Dame] out” of future schedules due to reports regarding the university’s preferential playoff situation next year, which guarantees the program a spot in the CFP as long as they finish in the top 12 in the final ranking in 2026.
The freezeout report, from Yahoo Sports, was addressed by Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love on Saturday, when he finished in third place in the voting for the Heisman Trophy- and the star didn’t hold back.
“They’re scared to play us,” Love said. “They don’t want to play Notre Dame because we’re Notre Dame. You’re leaving us out of your schedule, it’s not a good look. Why not play us? That’s how I think about it.”
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Running Back Jeremiyah Love (4) runs with the ball for a touchdown during the first half of the College Football game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Pittsburgh Panthers on November 15, 2025, at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Irish were left out of the CFP despite 10 straight wins to close the season and opted not to play in a bowl game following the snub.
Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua has been the face of the school’s anger at being overlooked for the playoffs, as well as taking itself out of bowl consideration, a decision that was criticized as “egregious” by Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark.
It’s unclear how a possible freezeout might impact Notre Dame’s future schedule- and that’s not the only uncertainty surrounding the program, since head coach Marcus Freeman is seen as a possible head coaching candidate in the NFL.
Notre Dame Athletic Director Pete Bevacqua talks during media day ahead of the College Football Playoff national championship game between Ohio State and Notre Dame Jan. 18, 2025, in Atlanta. APThe Giants, who fired head coach Brian Daboll earlier this season and are being led by interim head coach Mike Kafka, figure to be among the teams that will look at Freeman.
“Everybody has eyes on Marcus,” Bevacqua told reporters. “College has eyes on Marcus; the NFL has eyes on Marcus. I bet Hollywood has eyes on Marcus. … He’s the absolute best coach in the country for Notre Dame, full stop, one of the greatest college coaches in the country.”
“I feel like if he was to go and do it at the NFL level he would still connect with the players, but it’s a little bit different,’’ Love said. “Those are grown men who have families. They’re not college students or anything like that. He would definitely still connect with them very well, but they have their own lives. But from outside the football aspect, he probably wouldn’t hang out with them as much. But coach [Freeman] would be a great head coach anywhere on any level.”
