Notre Dame Received Sun Bowl Berth for the Wackiest Reason

Notre Dame is heading to the Sun Bowl on Dec. 29 to play against Oregon State after its name was drawn out of a hat, according to a report from The Athletic.

Following Florida State’s College Football Playoff snub, there was a trickle-down effect for the rest of the ACC and Notre Dame. Instead of heading to either the Rose Bowl or Sugar Bowl as a CFP semifinalist, the Seminoles are slated to play in the Orange Bowl. As a result, each remaining ACC team (and the Fighting Irish) was knocked down a peg in terms of bowl destination.

When the dust settled, three bowl games remained in need of an ACC participant (or Notre Dame): the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, Pinstripe Bowl and Sun Bowl. The teams available for the bowls to choose from on the ACC side included North Carolina, Miami and the Irish. Unsurprisingly, all three games wanted the Notre Dame, a national brand with a fan base that travels well. 

Because all three bowls submitted Notre Dame as their preferred choice, the ACC followed its prescribed tiebreaking process. To wit, the league’s attorney wrote each bowl’s name on a piece of paper and drew names out of a hat for each school.

The piece of paper drawn for Notre Dame indicated the Irish would be headed to the Sun Bowl.

The game sold out within 24 hours, a testament to Notre Dame’s drawing power. The Irish (9–3) and Beavers (8–4) are set to face off Dec. 29 at noon ET in El Paso.