It’s been more than a month since Notre Dame first found out that it would be spending the College Football Playoff on the outside looking in.
But before the wound could finally close, Nicole Briscoe decided to pour a little more salt into it.
Introducing the late-night SportsCenter that followed Miami’s victory over Ole Miss in the College Football Playoff semifinal Fiesta Bowl on Thursday, the ESPN host opted not to focus on the Hurricanes or Rebels, but rather the Fighting Irish. Referencing Notre Dame’s infamous snub, Briscoe began the show by noting that the Fighting Irish are still sitting at home, while the team that beat them out for the CFP’s final at-large spot now finds itself preparing to play in the national championship game.
“Uh hello, Notre Dame, hello, are you there? No, they’re not. But Miami still is and they’re going to the title game,” she said. “Is that too soon?”
“Uh, yeah,” co-host Michael Eaves responded.
“OK,” Briscoe replied sheepishly, seemingly realizing she might have stepped in it. “It’s coming my way.”
The late-night SportsCenter following the Fiesta Bowl began with Nicole Briscoe taking a shot at Notre Dame.
“Uh hello, Notre Dame, hello, are you there? No, they’re not. But Miami still is and they’re going to the title game. Is that too soon?” pic.twitter.com/Jz5HcpkU0D
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 9, 2026
To her point, some Notre Dame fans did, in fact, spot the clip and obviously weren’t too happy with the late-night sideswipe. Of course, it also doesn’t help that many Fighting Irish fans already believe ESPN played a role in Notre Dame missing the playoffs, given the network’s media rights agreements with the ACC and SEC.
But regardless of the circumstances surrounding the Fighting Irish’s snub, Thursday night was admittedly an odd time for Briscoe to make such a reference. At this point in the playoff, Notre Dame’s absence is hardly top of mind for anybody who isn’t a Fighting Irish fan — especially in the aftermath of Miami’s dramatic victory over Ole Miss and all of the drama surrounding the Rebels’ run to the semis.
If anything, Briscoe’s playful jab wasn’t “too soon” but rather “too late.” At the very least, her response to Eaves indicates that she wasn’t going to be caught off by the reaction from Notre Dame fans that her joke elicited.
Update: Briscoe appeared to respond to the pushback on X, saying, “Some people get so mad.”
Some people get so mad 😂😂
— Nicole Briscoe (@RB_Mrs) January 9, 2026
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.