Notre Dame, politics, and playing by their own rules
December 08, 2025
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Ian Bremmer takes a look at the week's top stories in geopolitics.
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In this episode of "ask ian," Ian Bremmer breaks down Notre Dame football.
After finishing 10–2 and missing the championship tournament, Notre Dame withdrew from bowl-game consideration altogether, a decision Ian says is less about football and more about branding, politics, and playing by your own rules. The school has already secured a special deal guaranteeing tournament entry next year if they finish in the top 12.
Ian jokes that Notre Dame’s strategy resembles American foreign policy: dominating the unranked, avoiding the toughest opponents, and still commanding all the airtime. "Maybe they are America’s team,” he says.
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