The first College Football Playoff rankings of the 2026 season have been released, placing the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at No. 11. The initial rankings were published on November 4, 2026, giving an early indication of where the independent program stands in the playoff picture.
Notre Dame's position comes after a season that included a road game against the BYU Cougars at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah, on October 17. During that contest, quarterback CJ Carr, wearing No. 13 for the Fighting Irish, was photographed looking up at the stadium's video board during a replay review in the first half.
The Fighting Irish, who operate as a football independent outside of conference affiliation, will need to continue winning to improve their playoff positioning as the season progresses. The CFP selection committee will release updated rankings weekly through the remainder of the regular season and conference championship weekend.
