Why isn’t the Notre Dame game on NBC during the College Football Playoffs?

The absence of Notre Dame’s game on NBC during the College Football Playoffs (CFP) raises several interesting questions, particularly given the long-standing relationship between the network and the university’s football program. To understand why this is the case, we need to delve into several layers of the issue, including Notre Dame’s unique position in college football, the structure of the College Football Playoff system, the broadcasting rights associated with the CFP, and NBC’s role in this broader context. We’ll also explore how these factors all intersect to explain why Notre Dame isn’t involved in the College Football Playoffs in the way many might expect.

The Unique Position of Notre Dame in College Football

Notre Dame holds a special place in the world of college football. The Fighting Irish football team is an independent program, meaning they do not belong to any specific conference. This independence has given Notre Dame a degree of autonomy that other programs don’t have, but it also comes with challenges when it comes to securing a spot in the College Football Playoff system.

Unlike teams in Power Five conferences (such as the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, and ACC), Notre Dame is not guaranteed a place in the playoff system, which has become highly tied to conference championships. For most of the history of the College Football Playoff, the committee has given priority to teams that win their respective conferences, which has often left Notre Dame on the outside looking in. This lack of a conference affiliation can sometimes hurt Notre Dame’s chances of making the playoff, as the committee places significant weight on conference championships when selecting playoff teams.

Moreover, while the Fighting Irish have enjoyed success as an independent program, they have occasionally been on the cusp of qualifying for the College Football Playoff but have been edged out by teams with stronger résumés, often bolstered by a conference title.

College Football Playoff Structure

The College Football Playoff (CFP) system, introduced in the 2014-2015 season, consists of four teams selected by a committee. The selection committee, made up of college football experts, determines the top four teams in the country based on a variety of factors, including overall record, strength of schedule, conference championships, and other key metrics. These teams are then placed into a playoff bracket, with the top two teams earning a first-round bye and the other two teams facing off in a semifinal.

However, the CFP structure has a key limitation when it comes to independent teams like Notre Dame. For a team to make the CFP, they need a combination of a strong record, a solid strength of schedule, and, often, a conference title. Notre Dame’s absence from any conference has led to its exclusion from the playoff in years where conference champions are ranked higher, even if Notre Dame has the same or better record.

In recent years, Notre Dame has been in the mix for playoff contention, but they’ve either lost games that prevented them from securing a top-four spot or been left out due to the strength of other teams’ resumes. The one time Notre Dame made the College Football Playoff in the CFP era (2018), they were ranked as the No. 3 team but were routed by Clemson in the semifinals. This demonstrates both the potential and the limits of Notre Dame’s positioning in the playoff system. Despite being a nationally recognized program, their lack of a conference championship can hurt their chances in a system that favors conference champions.

The College Football Playoff’s Broadcasting Rights

One of the key factors in the absence of Notre Dame games on NBC during the College Football Playoffs is the television rights associated with the CFP. The College Football Playoff has a broadcasting deal that involves multiple networks, most notably ESPN. ESPN owns the rights to broadcast all of the CFP games, including the semifinals and the national championship game, as well as the New Year’s Six bowl games. This means that regardless of which teams qualify for the playoff, the games will be aired on ESPN and its affiliated channels (such as ESPN2, ESPNU, or ESPN+).

NBC, on the other hand, has long held exclusive broadcasting rights for Notre Dame’s home football games. The network has had a long-term deal with the university dating back to 1991, allowing NBC to broadcast all of Notre Dame’s home games. This deal is quite unique in college football, as it provides NBC with the exclusive rights to a major independent program. However, this relationship is restricted to Notre Dame’s regular season games and does not extend to the College Football Playoffs, as ESPN has exclusive rights to those games.

This exclusive broadcasting arrangement is why NBC does not air Notre Dame games during the College Football Playoffs, regardless of whether the Fighting Irish make it into the postseason. The broadcasting rights for the CFP are solely in the hands of ESPN, and that network has full control over how and when playoff games are shown. Therefore, unless there is a change in the broadcast rights agreement, Notre Dame’s postseason games, if they make the playoff, will always air on ESPN platforms rather than NBC.

The Complications of Conference Affiliation and the Role of NBC

The nature of Notre Dame’s independence in football complicates their relationship with the College Football Playoff even further. As mentioned earlier, Notre Dame does not belong to any conference, which means they don’t have the automatic entry into the playoff system that a conference champion does. This lack of affiliation further impacts how the media and networks view the team.

When Notre Dame does play in major bowl games, including the New Year’s Six or the College Football Playoff, the team typically generates a lot of national attention, which is something NBC has always sought to capitalize on. However, NBC’s broadcast rights are limited to the regular season, and they do not have control over the postseason games. This is another reason why Notre Dame’s games are not aired on NBC during the College Football Playoffs, despite the network’s long-standing relationship with the school.

Additionally, Notre Dame’s status as an independent football program gives them significant freedom in terms of scheduling and media relationships. This is in contrast to conference-affiliated teams, which often have more standardized media and broadcasting relationships tied to their respective conferences. Since Notre Dame is not beholden to any conference for playoff entry, they have the freedom to strike their own media deals but, in this case, ESPN’s hold over the playoff broadcasting rights remains unchallenged.

The Future of Notre Dame and the College Football Playoff

Looking ahead, the possibility of Notre Dame’s future participation in the College Football Playoffs and its role in the postseason may evolve. As college football continues to undergo changes—particularly with the expansion of the College Football Playoff system to 12 teams, set to take effect in 2024—there may be new opportunities for independent programs like Notre Dame. However, the broadcasting rights will likely remain a significant challenge for NBC to overcome. Even if Notre Dame makes the expanded playoff, ESPN will retain the broadcast rights, meaning NBC would still be unable to air those games.

One key question is whether Notre Dame might eventually decide to join a conference in football, as it has in other sports. A move to a conference would significantly alter their positioning in the College Football Playoff system, as a conference title would almost certainly guarantee them a spot in the playoff bracket. However, there are no current signs that Notre Dame is planning to make such a move. The university has long valued its independence, and this is unlikely to change in the immediate future.