The NCAA notified Notre Dame Tuesday that the Irish (4-6) would be eligible at 6-6 if there aren’t enough Big East teams with seven or more victories to fill the league’s five bowl berths. NCAA rules allow a team that plays 12 games and wins six to play in a bowl if it is member of a conference that has agreements with bowls. Notre Dame is an independent, but is part of the Big East bowl alignment. The Irish still need help to get to a bowl. That’s because three Big East teams already have at least seven victories–Miami (8-2), Pittsburgh (7-3) and Virginia Tech (8-2)–leaving two bowl spots. West Virginia (6-4) has two games left, at Syracuse (5-4) and at Temple (1-9). Boston College (6-5) is at Virginia Tech (8-2). Syracuse plays West Virginia, Rutgers (4-6) and then the Irish on Dec. 6. If two of those three teams win a seventh game, Notre Dame is out. Notre Dame must win at Stanford (4-5) and at Syracuse to have a chance at a bowl.
