Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman was magnanimous toward the College Football Playoff’s selection committee Wednesday, telling NBC News he will “agree to disagree” after the Fighting Irish dropped to 10th in the latest CFP rankings.

“We’re never always going to agree, especially when your program is the one that’s getting dropped after winning by 20-something points,” Freeman said. Notre Dame was ranked ninth in the 12-team CFP field in each of the last three weeks before switching spots with Alabama on Tuesday.

The Fighting Irish defeated Stanford 49-20 in their final game of the season, while the Crimson Tide rallied in the fourth quarter to defeat Auburn 27-20. Depending on the outcome of this week’s conference championship games, Notre Dame is now at a higher risk of dropping out of the playoff entirely.

“There are as many Notre Dame fans that are upset, including myself, as there’s going to be Alabama fans that are happy,” Freeman said. “I don’t always understand it, personally. I’m sure [the committee] gave a legitimate reason, but that doesn’t mean we agree.”

In the ESPN show revealing the rankings Tuesday, playoff selection committee chair Hunter Yurachek said the debate between Notre Dame and Alabama was one of the group’s fiercest.

Yurachek said the Crimson Tide’s win over the Tigers, which included a late fourth-down conversion for a touchdown, was “enough of a win, of a metric” to bump up Alabama.

Notre Dame has been at the center of a hot debate over which teams belong in this year’s playoff, the second season in which the sport has used a 12-team format. While the Fighting Irish slid Tuesday, they remain ahead of Miami, which beat Notre Dame in Week 1. That decision has led to criticism and questions about the value of head-to-head wins vs. a team’s overall résumé.

When asked if he thinks the current playoff system is working, Freeman said: “Every year, you’re going to have a group of three, four teams that are right on the cusp of being in the playoffs or not in the playoffs that are going to be upset. And it’s going to be no different than if they expand the playoffs to 16 — there’s still going to be somebody that’s not happy with not making it into the playoffs. So it’s life, right?”

He added: “To me, I’m always the supporter of more is better, and the more teams you you give an opportunity to play in the playoffs, the better. That’s just how I feel personally. Everybody can have their own opinion, but I always favor more.”

There is currently no agreement on the size of next season’s playoff field, with a deadline for the decision coming on Jan. 23, 2026, six days after the national championship game. Multiple conference commissioners have expressed a desire for an expanded playoff, though there are disagreements on the size of the field and how many schools should receive automatic bids.

Though the Fighting Irish are on the playoff bubble after losing two early-season games to ranked opponents, Freeman said not to expect the school to change its future scheduling.

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian, whose team is ranked 13th, said earlier this week the Longhorns would have to consider changing their nonconference schedule so as to not be penalized for losing to good teams. (Texas lost to No. 1 Ohio State and beat No. 5 Texas A&M this season, but also lost to unranked Florida.)

With Notre Dame not being in a conference, Freeman said the school’s calculus is unique.

“We have to make sure our strength of schedule is challenging enough to if you do happen to lose a game or two, you can still make the playoffs,” Freeman said. “For me, being a competitor, I want to play teams that are going to challenge us. You want to play against the best. And you know what? This year, unfortunately, we lost the first two games by four points. But I wouldn’t change that.”

Freeman has proven his competitive chops since taking over the Fighting Irish late in the 2021 season after the departure of previous head coach Brian Kelly. Freeman has led Notre Dame to a 43-12 record in his four-plus seasons at the helm, including an appearance in last year’s national championship game.

Freeman took over Notre Dame after Kelly left for LSU after an 11-1 regular season, similar to how Lane Kiffin left 11-1 Ole Miss for LSU earlier this week despite the Rebels being expected to make the playoff. Kiffin’s decision has drawn criticism as well as questions about the college football calendar, which pushes coaches to make job decisions midseason.

Asked about the current structure, Freeman said there is “no perfect solution,” or else it would be in place.

He added: “There’s positive movement in terms of trying to get this calendar to align with what’s best for college football, what’s best for the young people, what’s best for coaches. Again, Lane Kiffin, I think everybody has to make a decision that’s best for themselves and our family. For me, my sympathy always goes to the student athlete.

“Lane Kiffin made a decision for Lane Kiffin. It’s not my position to be opinionated about that, but I am always opinionated about the well being of the young people in this profession.”