Is the CFP Favoring Notre Dame at the Expense of College Football?

The College Football Playoff confirmed that the 12-team format isn’t going anywhere through the 2026–27 season. Fans hoping for expansion will have to wait a little longer. The lone change: Notre Dame will now automatically qualify as an at-large team if it finishes in the top 12 of the final CFP rankings. Notre Dame has long been one of the most disliked programs in college football, and the preferential treatment will only intensify that criticism. 

In 2020, the Fighting Irish decided to join the ACC conference as scheduling issues arrived due to the COVID pandemic. Since then, Notre Dame has decided to keep the majority of their sports programs within the ACC conference except for football. As the College Football Playoff expanded, many believed Notre Dame would eventually be forced to join a conference to secure a spot in the field. That theory didn’t hold up at first, as the Irish reached the national championship game last season. This year, however, the lack of a conference title caught up with them, and Notre Dame was left out of the playoff. The Irish then opted to sit out their bowl game, making it clear they felt wronged by the decision. Whether coincidence or consequence, that stance appears to have paid off. Under the new format, Notre Dame now has a clearer and easier path into the playoff at the expense of other programs. 

Independent CFB Advantages

College football allows programs to operate as independents rather than requiring them to be part of a conference. This allows teams such as Notre Dame to have a serious advantage over other programs.  

Revenue: Conferences across the country negotiate their own television deals that include built-in revenue-sharing models, with each member school receiving an equal portion of the profits. Independent programs, however, have the ability to negotiate their own television agreements, allowing them to retain all of the revenue generated by those deals. Ticket sales also generate lots of revenue and will not be shared with other teams if you're not part of a conference.

Freedom: Many programs clash with conference rules and regulations, but independence provides the freedom to operate without those restrictions. 

Scheduling: Teams that belong to a conference compete primarily in conference play, which makes up the majority of their schedules, with a limited number of games each year against non-conference opponents of their choosing. As an independent program you will be able to negotiate with teams of your choosing to create your schedules each season. This is a major advantage as you will be able to boost your record by scheduling inferior opponents. 

Schedule Changes  

Many believe that playing an easier schedule while posting an above-average record is the simplest path to the playoffs. The Fighting Irish will put that theory to the test. For the 2026–27 season, the Irish were originally scheduled to face Florida State and longtime rival USC. However, after dropping in the rankings early in the previous season, they determined that scheduling these tougher matchups might hurt them more than help them. Notre Dame still maintains a partnership with the ACC, which requires the program to play five conference opponents each season. However, many fans and programs across the country have expressed frustration with these cancellations, arguing that Notre Dame should not be allowed to hand-pick its schedule. While other programs are also canceling tougher nonconference games, they do not have the same privilege of independently constructing the remainder of their schedules.

What's stopping teams from going independent?

Once the CFP announced the playoff format for the upcoming season, being an independent program appeared to be more advantageous than belonging to any conference. Programs across the country may begin to consider leaving their respective conferences. In today’s landscape, money is a major driving force, and operating as an independent program creates greater opportunities for increased revenue. Conference commissioners have reason to be worried and disappointed with the CFP, as programs will likely push for more revenue and consider leaving their conferences altogether. If the CFP continues to favor independent programs (easier path to the playoffs), college football as a whole could be headed down a slippery slope. If the CFP decides to expand the playoffs the independent bias wouldn’t be much of an issue.