The decision by the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football program to decline a postseason bowl invitation stemmed from a full-team consensus among players and leadership after missing out on a spot in the College Football Playoff. Team captains and star players, including running back Jeremiyah Love, expressed that playing in a lesser tier bowl game without a full roster—due to anticipated player opt-outs, NFL draft preparations, and transfer portal activity—would fail to properly represent the special character and achievements of their successful regular-season campaign. Rather than putting forth a depleted squad that did not reflect their true identity, the team chose to forgo the postseason entirely.