Updated Jan. 19, 2026, 4:55 p.m. ET
Indiana is playing Miami football in the CFP national championship game. Follow live updateshere.
Marcus Freeman has made it to the 2026 College Football Playoff after all.
It just isn’t with Notre Dame, which opted out of its invitation to the Pop-Tarts Bowl following a snub from the CFP.
Instead, the Fighting Irish coach is joining the ESPN “College GameDay” desk with Rece Davis, Nick Saban, Kirk Herbstreit, Pat McAfee and Desmond Howard for Monday night’s national championship game between No. 1 Indiana and No. 10 Miami at Hard Rock Stadium.
The pregame show is set to start at 5 p.m. ET on Monday ahead of the Hoosiers and Hurricanes’ 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff inside Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Freeman has experience with both teams competing in the national championship. Notre Dame beat Curt Cignetti’s program in the first round of the CFP last season, which happens to be the Hoosiers’ last loss. The Fighting Irish fell to the Hurricanes in Week 1 of the 2025 season.
Here’s what to know on Freeman’s appearance on the “College GameDay” desk:
Why is Marcus Freeman on ‘College GameDay’?
Freeman is serving as a guest analyst on the “College GameDay” desk for the national championship game.
ESPN has previously brought in college football coaches for the national championship game in past years. In fact, before becoming a full-time member of the desk following his retirement from Alabama in 2024, Saban made several guest appearances on the pregame show.
Did Notre Dame make CFP?
No, the Fighting Irish were not selected to make the 2025-26 CFP.
The Fighting Irish were omitted, controversially, from the 12-team bracket on Dec. 7 by the CFP selection committee, which chose Miami to make the field instead. The committee placed the Hurricanes one spot ahead of Notre Dame after the two Fighting Irish had ranked ahead of the Hurricanes throughout the CFP rankings.
At his first media availability since Notre Dame’s final game of the season earlier this week, Freeman told reporters that it was “disappointing” that his team had its spot in the postseason taken away from them at the 11th hour.
“I think a lot of the authentic emotions and reactions are captures on the follow documentary, ‘Here Come the Irish.’ You can see the disappointment and the confusion. But as we look at that moment, a month-plus later, it was obviously disappointing,” Freeman said.
“But you have to move forward, and that’s what we’ve done as a program. That’s what I’ve done as a leader. I reminded the group (at) our team meeting on Sunday, it’s our responsibility to make sure we leave no doubt. And moving forward, we can’t blame it on somebody else. … Although I may be confused about some of the criteria, the committee’s rankings and all those different things, it’s our job as we move forward to make sure we leave no doubt.”
When, where to watch ‘College GameDay’ today
- Date: Monday, Jan. 19
- Location: Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida)
- Time: 5 p.m. ET
- TV: ESPN
- Streaming: ESPN app | Fubo (free trial)
“College GameDay” will air live on ESPN prior to the national championship on Monday, Jan. 19 from Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. Streaming options for the college football pregame show include the ESPN app or Fubo, which offers a free trial.
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