In 1993, an 11-1 Notre Dame squad finished second in the polls to a 12-1 Florida State team the Fighting Irish had defeated during the regular season. Notre Dame fans were furious at being denied a national championship because of the sport’s refusal to settle its champion on the field. The school’s athletic director, Dick Rosenthal, did not share their viewpoint.
“(Notre Dame’s) position has been to oppose the playoff because we don’t believe in extending the season,” he said. “It’s a threat to the academic success of the student-athlete.”
Thirty-one years later, guess which school is hosting the first-ever home College Football Playoff game?