Editorial

Notre Dame Won’t Be Eligible For A 1st-Round Bye In Proposed 12-Team Playoff Format

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David Hookstead Sports And Entertainment Editor
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Notre Dame won’t be eligible to skip the opening round of the new proposed playoff format.

The College Football Playoff is on the verge of expanding to 12 teams in the coming years, and the model is really awesome. The field will consist of the six highest-ranked conference champions, six at-large bids and the top four seeds, which will consist of only conference champs, will get first-round byes. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)

You know who isn’t eligible to ever skip the first round? The Notre Dame Fighting Irish because they’re independent!

In case you think I’m just speculating here, I can promise you that I’m not. Notre Dame AD Jack Swarbrick confirmed the news, according to Pete Sampson.

Even though Notre Dame won’t ever be eligible for a bye, it’s still not a terrible deal for them. The expanded field gives them a much higher shot of making it on a regular basis.

While the independent status keeps Notre Dame from ever getting a bye, the fact they can set their own schedule is incredibly advantageous when dealing with six at-large bids.

So, while Notre Dame fans might want to sit back and complain, this is almost certainly going to be a net positive for the Fighting Irish.

Plus, imagine a night playoff game in South Bend. That would be absolutely incredible and make a ton of money.

 

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So, if you’re a Notre Dame fan and complaining, just stop. You don’t have it that bad. Everything is going to work itself out. Enjoy the journey!