Notre Dame was not eligible for an opening-round bye as a top-four seed because those were designated for Power Four or Group of Five champions only.

This exercise will serve as a nice reminder that most programs have not been exactly as good or exactly as bad as they are right now over the course of 25 years.

The compromise is expected to keep that $8 million payout for 2025, but it will likely change in 2026 when the "new revenue-distribution model that was established last spring where conferences earn ...