Joel Klatt breaks down why nobody benefits from playing Notre Dame football

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The landscape of Notre Dame football is shifting as leading analysts increasingly question the value of scheduling the independent powerhouse. FOX Sports’ lead analyst Joel Klatt recently outlined why Power 4 programs have little incentive to face the Fighting Irish program under the new postseason format. The debate centers on the 12-team College Football Playoff, the physical toll of a Big Ten conference gauntlet, and the calculated SEC scheduling strategy employed by elite contenders. A major catalyst in the discussion is the upcoming rivalry hiatus beginning in 2026 with the USC Trojans.

Klatt argues that the current system creates a built-in advantage for the independent school in South Bend. While Big Ten and SEC programs must navigate grueling conference schedules and an added conference championship game, the South Bend squad avoids that extra layer of risk entirely, allowing it a cleaner path to postseason qualification.

Popular sports outlet Awful Announcing shared the exchange on X (formerly known as Twitter), showing Klatt during an appearance with Colin Cowherd on The Herd Tuesday and what he had to say about scheduling the Fighting Irish.

“It does not behoove anybody… to schedule Notre Dame because they have such an advantage over these teams that are playing in the Big Ten and SEC [who have] much more difficult schedules.”

According to Klatt, the 12-team College Football Playoff committee increasingly prioritizes total wins over strength of schedule. That reality turns games against the Irish program into a high-risk proposition for teams already managing demanding slates. For programs operating under a conservative SEC scheduling strategy, even one additional loss can significantly alter postseason positioning.

The issue has already affected traditional rivals. USC’s move into the Big Ten conference gauntlet significantly increased travel demands and physical wear. As a result, the Trojans sought to move their matchup with the independent school to an earlier point in the season.

The scheduling dispute underscores growing questions about whether independence remains sustainable for Notre Dame as postseason stakes rise in the new era of college football.

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