Texas head coach hints big non-conference matchup being in jeopardy

The college football landscape is shifting rapidly, and some of the sport's most anticipated future matchups are becoming collateral damage. Among the high-profile series currently in jeopardy is the long-awaited home-and-home set between the Texas Longhorns and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, a rivalry that has produced some of the most iconic moments in the game since 1970.

Playoff Expansion and Scheduling Uncertainty

In a recent appearance on the Triple Option Podcast, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian addressed how the ongoing uncertainty surrounding College Football Playoff expansion is forcing teams to reconsider their non-conference slates. With the format currently in flux, programs are having to decide whether keeping marquee games on the calendar is worth the potential risk to their postseason positioning.

This uncertainty directly threatens the Texas-Notre Dame series, which is currently scheduled for the 2028 and 2029 seasons. According to Sarkisian, the path forward remains cloudy, with a resolution on whether the playoff will move to a 16-team or 24-team model expected as early as this fall.

Prioritizing Championship Aspirations

“What’s going to happen to the CFP? That’s the hard part,” Sarkisian said during the interview. “Is it going to expand? Are we going to go to 16? Are we going to go to 24? And then, is that maybe going to entice us back into keeping those nonconference games? Because right now, it’s a little bit of a flux.”

While 205focus.com notes that Sarkisian is hopeful the games against the Irish can be preserved, he remains steadfast that his primary obligation is to the University of Texas. “I’m not going to do it at the expense of my first responsibility,” Sarkisian added. “And that’s to the University of Texas of fielding a great team and putting a team into a position to go win a championship.”

A Trend of Cancelled Classics

The potential loss of this series follows a growing trend across the sport. As conferences expand and the playoff format evolves, teams are increasingly dumping premier non-conference games—such as the previously discarded matchups between Florida State and Georgia, as well as Alabama and Oklahoma—to maintain a more strategic path to the postseason.