While one stated intention of expanding the College Football Playoff to 24 teams is to make more Autonomy 4 teams play each other, it looks like the Florida Gators didn’t understand the message and dropped Notre Dame from their future schedule just one day after the CFP changes were announced.
On3’s Brett McMurphy reported on Tuesday that Florida has scrubbed a home-and-home series with Notre Dame for 2031 and 2032.
Florida used a clause in the contract to void the series without a financial penalty. The deal for the series was originally signed before the SEC moved to nine conference games, and that change gave Florida an escape valve.
In recent years, the Gators have moved to eliminate several autonomy-conference games as it became clear that the SEC would move to nine conference games. Series with Arizona State, California, and NC State have already been removed from the schedule.
Florida cancels Notre Dame football series despite, or because of new Autonomy 4 scheduling requirements
Even with the new CFP committee rule that Autonomy 4 schools must play 10 A4 games a year, it looks like the Gators are using a loophole to make sure they still aren’t playing a team as good as Notre Dame. Florida already has in-state rival Florida State on the schedule, and it appears it will fill the other two non-conference games with G6 or FCS teams.
The backing out of the home-and-home came the same day Notre Dame forged a deal with the Washington Huskies for an unorthodox home-and-home that will see the two teams play first in 2031 (effectively replacing the Gators) and then again in 2034.
While adding Washington effectively replaces Florida, the Gators' decision to back out of the deal puts Notre Dame in a bit of a predicament. Right now, the Fighting Irish will need to find another A4 school to add to the 2031 slate.
USC, Washington, Clemson, NC State, Miami, North Carolina, Pitt, and Virginia are the only A4 teams on the Irish schedule that season. They also have Navy and South Florida under contract. That means Notre Dame will need to find two more A4 opponents.
Of course, the Fighting Irish tend to schedule tougher A4 opponents because they know someone will criticize them for not being in a conference, even if their schedule includes an agreement with the ACC and is usually tougher than the schedules of most programs screaming “join a conference.”
This season, even though the College Football Playoff committee chair criticized Notre Dame’s schedule, Marcus Freeman’s squad doesn’t play a single FCS team, and the only opponents that aren't A4 are Navy and Rice. In other words, while A4 teams will essentially be forced to schedule 10 Autonomy 4 teams next year, Notre Dame already had 10 A4 teams on its slate this season.
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