This season, the Notre Dame football team got about as good a seed as it possibly could. Next year, if proposed changes to seedings go through, the Irish could do even better.
The Irish were ranked 4th by the College Football Playoffs committee. However rules about conference champions getting automatic byes meant that the highest seed they could get was No. 7. The good news there is that they were still able to host a playoff game against Indiana.
According to Brett McMurphy, Notre Dame football could be getting a top four seed next year if they’re in the same situation. That’s because there are enough people upset about the auto byes in the playoff field.
PAC 12 is no longer a viable/automatic bid conference. Outside of BSU—it just doesn’t carry that weight.
— AGM3 (@farsideagm) December 30, 2024
Notre Dame football could get bye in 2025 College Football Playoffs
“There will be ‘in-depth discussions’ about not guaranteeing conference champs the top 4 College Football Playoffs seeds in 2025, sources said. Top 5 conference champs still would get in playoff but rankings would determine seeds, sources said. This would require unanimous approval by all stake holders to change in 2025 but conference commissioners “open to getting (the seeding) right,” source said”
The hangup here would of course be the Big Ten and the SEC who like the idea of conference champs getting byes in the playoffs. However, there was plenty of complaining about how the seeds worked out.
There’s going to be a discussion this offseason about all of this. Including how many teams make it in. Notre Dame football could end up being a big beneficiary.