The 2025 regular season in college football was chock-full of drama, especially surrounding the College Football Playoff (CFP) bracket.
Since the first rankings were released on November 4, there have been numerous questions about the criteria to make the field and what wins and losses actually matter.
The final CFP bracket was released on Sunday, December 8, with some notable additions and subtractions.
After getting housed by Georgia in the SEC title game, Alabama snuck into the field, alongside Miami, Tulane, and James Madison.
Some notable absences were Notre Dame, BYU, and Texas, causing Notre Dame to go full scortched earth on the post season.
After learning they did not make the field, the Fighting Irish opted out of any bowl game invitation they would receive, creating a domino effect in college football.
Since Notre Dame made the controversial decision, seven other programs have decided not to participate in bowl season, including Iowa rival Iowa State.
It has become a trend in college football for players with NFL aspirations to sit out bowl games, but as more schools decline invitations, a more alarming trend is emerging.
While it is each program's choice to accept a bid and each player's choice to play, the trend of opting out or sitting out will rarely be seen in Iowa City.
Kirk Ferentz: No Iowa opt-outs expected for bowl game.
— Chad Leistikow🆑 (@ChadLeistikow) December 7, 2025
"Every indication I have right now is our entire roster is ready to roll."
Every Hawkeye player and coach knows how important bowl games are to the program and the fans, and no one will opt out for their trip to Tampa.
According to the Des Moines Register's Chad Leistikow, Head Coach Kirk Ferentz announced that he is not aware of any players who will sit out of postseason play.
Ferentz also added that, "our entire roster is ready to roll."
Let's hope that Notre Dame did not start a trend that will lead to more programs and players opting out of bowl games.