Notre Dame, politics, and playing by their own rules
December 08, 2025
VIDEOSGZERO World with Ian BremmerQuick TakePUPPET REGIMEIan ExplainsGZERO ReportsAsk IanGlobal Stage
Site Navigation
Search
Human content,
AI powered search.
Latest Stories
Sign up for GZERO Daily.
Get our latest updates and insights delivered to your inbox.
Global Stage LIVE from United Nations WATCH REPLAY
ask ian
Ian Bremmer takes a look at the week's top stories in geopolitics.
Presented by
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.
Keep reading...Show less
More from ask ian
GZERO Series
GZERO World with Ian Bremmer
Puppet Regime
Quick Take
ask ian
Ian Explains
GZERO Reports
GZERO Europe
The Debrief
© 2026 GZERO Media. All Rights Reserved | A Eurasia Group company.
GZERO Daily: our free newsletter about global politics
Keep up with what’s going on around the world - and why it matters.