ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit criticized Notre Dame’s 2026 schedule as an “embarrassment” during a Friday interview with ESPN’s Mike Greenberg, drawing scrutiny from commentators who note he did not apply the same standard to other teams with similarly light slates.
“Notre Dame plays two games where they’re going to be challenged,” Herbstreit said, referring to the Irish’s matchup with BYU, where Notre Dame is favored, and a home game against Miami.
“Think about what Alabama and Georgia and Ohio State and these teams. What they’re dealing with? So that cannot continue. That’s an embarrassment and incredibly unfair,” Herbstreit continued.
Notre Dame’s 2026 schedule includes three ranked opponents, two of them ranked in the top 10, with one of those games on the road.
Critics have pointed out that Herbstreit did not single out Miami, which has only one ranked opponent on its entire schedule this season: Notre Dame. Miami is a member of the ACC, which maintains a broadcast partnership with ESPN, Herbstreit’s employer.
Other top-10 teams also have lighter schedules than Notre Dame’s. Texas Tech, ranked 10th, has only two ranked opponents, neither ranked higher than 18th. BYU, which Notre Dame plays this Saturday night, also has just two ranked opponents on its schedule — Notre Dame and 11th-ranked Utah — with Notre Dame being the only top-10 opponent on BYU’s slate.
Herbstreit’s comments follow an offseason in which he predicted Notre Dame would win the national championship. Last season, he also defended Alabama’s inclusion in the College Football Playoff ahead of Notre Dame. Alabama is another program with an ESPN broadcast relationship.
The criticism reflects a broader debate about perceived inconsistencies in how college football analysts evaluate strength of schedule, particularly when broadcast partnerships are involved.
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