The biggest question when it comes to Notre Dame is, ‘Why not join the conference already?’ Not only would the Irish land top guaranteed long-term TV deals and shared revenue, but it would also make their playoff path fivefold easier. Notre Dame apparently missed last season’s playoff because of no conference in favor of Miami. Since we are deep in the off-season, it was inevitable that this would be the most anticipated question every interviewer would have for Marcus Freeman.

On April 14, the Notre Dame head honcho hopped onto Bussin’ With the Boys’ podcast along with the host, former Tennessee OL Taylor Lewan, and Nebraska legend Will Compton. When Lewan posed the ‘conference’ question—”Why hasn’t Notre Dame entered a conference, and has there been a conversation about that?”—Marcus Freeman let out a deep sigh and replied, “Really?!”

Lewan gave his reasoning why this question matters.

“Listen, here’s why I bring it up. One great question. But two, the haters, what are their big remarks about not making the playoffs? Like? Well, if you guys were in a conference, X, Y, and Z would happen. You’d have the opportunity because you’d be in a Power Four conference.”

Marcus Freeman took this opportunity to make this one clear once and for all.

“There’s advantages to being in a conference, and there’s an advantage to not being in a conference. There’s a lot of positive things that, trust me, nobody was complaining about when we made the playoffs the year before. As independents, we look at it as a positive,” Freeman said.

The Irish have been independent since 1899. Many great conferences like the Big Ten, AAC, and the old Big East have tried to convince them to join, but Notre Dame rejected them all outright and takes pride in being independent, not needing to adhere to conference rules.

One of the biggest perks Freeman pointed out is the freedom to build their own schedule. Instead of playing the same conference teams every year, the Irish can pick huge marquee matchups, like their 2025 games against Miami and Texas A&M, at their own discretion. He thinks that if they win those big-time games, it looks even better to the playoff committee than a standard conference schedule would.

Freeman was also very real about the team’s recent College Football Playoff snub in 2025, where they went 10-2 but were the “first team out.” While some fans blamed their lack of a conference title for the miss, Freeman took the blame on the chin. He told the boys that they “just shouldn’t have lost two games” early on to Miami and A&M. In his eyes, if the team takes care of business and wins, they have “just as good a chance” to make the playoffs as anyone else, conference or not, regardless.

That being said, Freeman admitted that staying independent isn’t necessarily a “forever” promise. However, there might be one condition where Notre Dame might actually join a conference.

“If our administration ever feels like we are truly at a competitive disadvantage by not being in a conference. I’m sure that we’ll join a conference,” Marcus said of his condition.

He told the guys that if college football keeps changing, especially with things like private equity and conference consolidation, the administration would have to adapt. If there ever comes a day when Notre Dame is at a major competitive disadvantage or loses its path to the playoffs, he’s sure the higher-ups would pull the trigger on joining a league to keep the program elite.

The plan for Notre Dame now is to enjoy the fruits of independence as long as possible. The head honcho believes the program’s big TV deal with NBC and their national Catholic brand gives them just enough power to survive on their own. Freeman is confident that as long as they leave no doubt on the field, they don’t need a conference trophy to prove that the Irish are a playoff-bound team.

However, some analysts have questioned the strength of the 2026 schedule for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team. Is Notre Dame cupcaking their way to the playoffs?

Marcus Freeman tends to think differently

A major reason people are calling the schedule “mediocre” is the absence of two traditional rivals: the Michigan Wolverines football and the USC Trojans. Those games usually boost both national attention and the strength of the schedule.

Without them, some feel Notre Dame lacks enough high-profile matchups. However, other solid teams are still on the schedule, including the Wisconsin Badgers football in Week 1 and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets later in the season. According to analyst Pete Fiutak, Notre Dame’s schedule currently ranks 42nd in strength, which places it in the middle compared to other programs.

Head coach Marcus Freeman pushed back on the idea that the schedule is weak. Speaking with Kay Adams, he made it clear that his team is focused on preparation rather than outside opinions.

“Listen, this is our schedule, and it’s hard before the season to say what’s weak or strong. We gotta get ready for this. First, we gotta take care of the opportunities that are presented to us,” the 40-year-old said.

His message is that a team can rise or fall during the season, so judging opponents too early doesn’t always make sense.

Freeman also stressed the importance of mindset and effort over perception.

“We get twelve guaranteed opportunities,” he said. “And so if you don’t have gratitude for every one of those 12 games, then it’s a lot of work for no reward.”

If you look at their squad and compare it to the strength of schedule, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t make the playoffs… even if they lose to Miami in Week 10.