Matt Barrie blasts Notre Dame for opting out of bowl season after CFP snub
By David Wasson
Published:
ESPN host Matt Barrie was not a fan of Notre Dame’s decision to opt out of bowl season after being snubbed from the College Football Playoff.
Barrie took aim at one of the factors that could have helped Notre Dame toward inclusion in the CFP — being an independent instead of playing in a Power 4 conference.
“You are the University of Notre Dame. You are brand in college football. You are one of the founding fathers of what makes this sport great. You should not have the right to do this as a team,” Barrie said on Sunday’s Championship Drive Bowl Breakdown show. “If you want to figure it out, and don’t want to opt out of a bowl game as the University of Notre Dame, I can fix this whole thing with you with one phone call.
“‘Hi, can we join your conference?’ You can not be an independent, control your own schedule, and then pout when you don’t get in when you don’t have the conference championship at your wake. It’s not hard.”
Notre Dame has competed as an independent throughout history in football, though the Fighting Irish’s other athletic offerings have competed in the Big East and the ACC throughout the years.
Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua is expected to hold a press conference on Tuesday.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. He also hosts Gulfshore Sports with David Wasson, weekdays from 3-5 pm across Southwest Florida and on FoxSportsFM.com. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
