I’m glad I’m not the PR person for the College Football Playoff (CFP) committee or for Notre Dame.
Let’s start with the CFP.
Who is the CFP?
The CFP committee is responsible for selecting and ranking the teams that participate in the playoff to determine the national champion in NCAA Division I college football. This committee consists of 13 members who evaluate team performances and make decisions based on various criteria, including win-loss records and strength of schedule.
It’s kind of a thankless job.
SOMEONE (team) is going to be upset for not being one of the 12 teams to make the playoff and have a chance for the National Championship.
Only 12 teams make the playoff — but that doesn’t mean the top 12 ranked teams automatically get in.
The five highest-ranked conference champions are guaranteed a spot. If that champion isn’t in the top 12, a team gets bumped out.
This year, two teams got bumped out: #11 Notre Dame and #12 BYU (interestingly, both are sponsored by religious institutions: the Catholic Church and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, respectively).
Woe is Notre Dame
As you may have heard, Notre Dame (previously ranked #10) was destined for weeks to make the prestigious college football playoff.
But then #11 BYU lost by 27 to #4 Texas Tech in the Big 12 Conference Championship and dropped a spot.
This caused #12 Miami to move up to #11.
Now Notre Dame and Miami were next to each other in the rankings.
When this happens, the committee takes head-to-head match-ups FAR more seriously.
On Aug. 31, Miami defeated Notre Dame 27-24.
So, how could Notre Dame POSSIBLY be one spot ahead of Miami? We can’t have that, can we?
Nope. So the committee flipped these two teams in the final rankings.
Ultimately, I guess it’s all BYU’s fault. Had they not lost so badly in their conference championship game, maybe they would have stayed put?
But wait, Alabama lost by 21 to Georgia in the SEC Championship, but they remained ranked #9.
The committee had previously said teams would not be penalized for losing a conference championship game.
But then why did BYU drop a spot?
Not only that, but when the debate was raging prior to the final CFP rankings, ESPN regularly displayed a graphic comparing the won/loss record, strength of record, strength of schedule, and other parameters of Alabama, Notre Dame, and Miami.
BYU, 11-1 at the time, wasn’t even in the discussion (or on the graphic). They had one less loss than Notre Dame and a much better strength of schedule.
In fact, never has an 11-1 team from a power conference not been ranked in the top 10… until BYU.
Does any of this make sense?
No, of course not.
It screams brand and conference bias.
The Headlines Show CFP PR Problem
Check out some of the headlines regarding the CFP:
College Football Playoff committee did a bad job. Here’s how we would fix it
– The New York Times
The College Football Playoff Committee Is Letting Its SEC Bias Show
– Breitbart
These teams got screwed most by CFP selection committee: SEC bias and Irish argument
– FanSided
Heisman winner destroys College Football Playoff committee: ‘None of it makes sense’
– Penn Live
How to fix the CFP and strengthen college football: No more charity
– USA Today
NFL Vet Doesn’t Hold Back on CFP Committee After BYU Snub — ‘Unbelievable SEC Bias’
– profootballnetwork.com
BYU coach Kalani Sitake says the College Football Playoff committee has been purposefully ‘disrespectful’ to his team
– The Salt Lake Tribune
Paul Finebaum calls out CFP Committee: ‘Nothing matters other than their own biases’
– Sports Illustrated
SEC Sympathizer Paul Finebaum Unsurprisingly Backs Notre Dame’s College Football Playoff Snub
– profootballnetwork.com
Dave Portnoy Wants a Switch to AP Poll Instead of ‘Dishonest Idiots’ at the CFP Committee
– Breitbart
On media: The CFP rankings shows, the ESPN insurgents and a plan to create legitimacy in the selection process
– East Bay Times
RG3 Calls Out SEC Bias as Kalani Sitake’s BYU Misses Out on the College Football Playoff
– profootballnetwork.com
CFP Chair Hunter Yuracheck Lands In Hot Water Over Alleged Bias Toward Alabama
– Total Pro Sports
College Football Playoff conspiracy theories: Connecting dots to arrive at (unlikely) motives
– The New York Times
Did the College Football Playoff Selection Committee Get it Right?
– Bleacher Report
Irish say no bowl after CFP snub, rankings ‘farce’
– ESPN
And here are a few headlines that ran before the final rankings:
College Football Playoff Rankings: Committee keeps rewarding teams based on recency bias as Oklahoma and Texas controversy looms
– AtoZ Sports
Paul Finebaum blasts College Football Playoff committee for “obvious” Notre Dame bias
– Sporting News (NOTE: This was when Notre Dame was ranked in the top 10)
Whew. That’s A LOT of negative press.
The CFP committee clearly has a PR crisis on its hands.
But the suspected pompous nature of the committee tells me they probably don’t care.
Notre Dame’s Holier Than Thou Pout
Now let’s take a look at Notre Dame’s problem.
They clearly got snubbed. And they were misled by several previous CFP rankings where they were ranked in the top 10.
To suddenly be flipped with Miami when Miami was now one spot behind them didn’t make sense.
And neither team played in a conference championship game last weekend. There wasn’t any additional team-specific data to evaluate.
If Miami was supposed to be ahead of Notre Dame, then that should have been done much sooner.
So I totally understand Notre Dame being upset with the CFP committee.
They’re 100% justified.
But then they made a bad situation even worse.
Shortly after the final rankings were released, the school issued the following brief statement:
As a team, we’ve decided to withdraw our name for consideration for a bowl game following the 2025 season.
We appreciate all the support from our families and fans, and we’re hoping to bring the 12th national title to South Bend in 2026
-The 2025 Notre Dame Football Team.
In essence, they didn’t get what they (rightfully) expected and felt they deserved, so they took their ball and went home.
Notre Dame would have played BYU in the Pop Tarts bowl, pitting the first two teams out against each other.
It would likely have been the best non-playoff post-season college football game.
But no. How they felt in the heat of the moment is more important than what’s best for college football.
(Never a good idea to make major decisions in the heat of the moment, btw.)
I’ve heard several refer to this decision as arrogant.
News Headlines Beat Up Notre Dame
Let’s see what headlines said about this:
Notre Dame’s bowl game snub is soft and cowardly, but the real evil is the CFP Committee itself
– The Miami Hurricane
Notre Dame’s opt-out crosses a new line — and college football is worse off for it – The Athletic
– The New York Times
‘Cowards.’ Notre Dame ‘took its ball and went home.’ Reaction to Irish skipping bowl
– USA Today
Urban Meyer defends Notre Dame’s bowl decision with the Irish still getting bashed
– Slap the Sign
Notre Dame Accused Of Making ‘Big Mistake’ With Bowl Decision
– The Spun
Deal with it, Notre Dame. CFP, bowl season doesn’t need Irish anymore
– USA Today
Joel Klatt Disagrees With Notre Dame’s Bowl Decision: ‘You Are Better Than This’
Notre Dame drew a line in the sand and has decided not to participate in any bowl game after being the first team excluded from the College…
– FOX Sports
Notre Dame Ripped for ‘Loser Behavior’ After Team Pulls Out of Bowl Game
– Sports Illustrated
Look, I get it. Notre Dame felt disrespected. The committee’s explanations contradicted their own stated principles.
But refusing to play in a bowl game? That’s not taking a stand — that’s taking a tantrum public.
The decision reeks of elitism. It sends a message that if Notre Dame can’t compete for the ultimate prize, they won’t bother showing up at all.
Never mind the fans who would have traveled. Never mind the seniors who will never get another shot at college football. Never mind that thousands of athletes across the country would kill for the opportunity to play in any bowl game.
This wasn’t a principled protest. It was privileged pouting.
And here’s the thing: Both the CFP committee and Notre Dame could have turned their crises into opportunities. The committee could have acknowledged the inconsistencies, explained their reasoning with actual transparency, and committed to clearer standards going forward.
Notre Dame could have channeled their frustration into motivation, played in the Pop Tarts Bowl with a chip on their shoulder, and proven they belonged in the playoff all along (but if BYU had beat them…?).
Instead, we got defensiveness from the committee and defiance from Notre Dame. Both fumbled the ball in the court of public opinion. And in the PR game, perception is reality — whether you like the rankings or not.
The 3 Big Takeaways
- When your decisions contradict your stated principles, expect a PR disaster. The CFP committee said teams wouldn’t be penalized for conference championship losses, then dropped BYU after their loss while keeping Alabama ranked after theirs. Consistency isn’t just good policy — it’s essential for credibility.
- Transparency prevents conspiracy theories. When selection criteria feel arbitrary and explanations are vague, people fill in the blanks with accusations of bias. The CFP’s opacity created a perfect storm of distrust that dominated headlines and damaged their reputation.
- Acting out of emotion multiplies your PR problems. Notre Dame had legitimate grievances, but their bowl boycott shifted the narrative from “they got screwed” to “they’re entitled.” Taking your ball and going home might feel satisfying in the moment, but it guarantees you’ll be remembered for the tantrum, not the injustice.
What do you think the CFP and Notre Dame should have done differently to avoid a PR crisis? Or do you feel they acted appropriately? Do share!
Stay authentic — and always be a good sport!
Jeffery E. Pizzino, APR (seen here in a vintage photo circa 1983 serendipitously doing a Clash impersonation in a since-forgotten location) is a spin-free public relations pro who is passionate about telling the why of your story with clarity, impact and authenticity. He began his PR career in 1987 at Ketchum Public Relations in New York City but has spent the majority of his career as a solopreneur. He’s the Chief Authentic Officer of the Johnson City, TN-based public relations firm, AuthenticityPR. He also functions as the fractional CCO for technology startup Converus.
Jeff has an MBA in Management from Western International University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications — with an emphasis in PR — from Brigham Young University (rise and shout!). He’s a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but also holds an Italian citizenship. Jeff and his storyteller wife Leticia have four children and four grandchildren. In his extremely limited nonwork hours, he studies italiano, practices guitar, write songs, gardens, disc golfs, reads, listens to New Wave music, serves in his church, watches BYU football, and plays Dominion and Seven Wonders. Email Jeff.
