Lombardi’s Wisdom Echoes: Notre Dame Rejects Pop Tarts Bowl

For nine years before the AFL and NFL merged, the NFL held a Runner-up Bowl where second-place finishers in its two divisions played for third place. Vince Lombardi, then coach of the Green Bay Packers, dismissed the event as “a hinky-dink football game, held in a hinky-dink town, played by hinky-dink players.”

That sentiment resurfaced when Notre Dame opted out of the Pop Tarts Bowl—a contest that barely qualifies as a consolation after being left out of the College Football Playoff. The Fighting Irish, whose sole goal each season is to reach the playoff and claim the national championship, were replaced in favor of Miami with a 10-win team.

What remained for Notre Dame was an invitation to play BYU in what critics call a “meaningless breakfast dessert bowl.” Channeling Lombardi’s wisdom, the school wisely declined participation.

More than one sports media outlet criticized Notre Dame for refusing such games, arguing that declining could harm local economies through reduced hotel bookings and tourism revenue. Yet the columnists emphasize players gain nothing from these non-championship contests beyond what they already receive during the regular season—no fancy dinners, swag, or hero worship beyond recruiting weekends.

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian claims such bowls provide experience and growth for athletes, though the columnists note incentives in coaches’ contracts remain speculative. For student-athletes, the risk outweighs any reward: a potential ACL tear with minimal returns. The school might secure a trivial trophy addition and an athletic department check—but these bowls function as the football equivalent of a bake sale with serious injury risks.