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Miami athletic director Dan Radakovich pleaded Monday for the ACC to reevaluate its tiebreaker system after the Hurricanes missed the conference championship game, which could cost the team a spot in the College Football Playoffs.
Miami closed out the season in Pittsburgh on Saturday with a dominating 38-7 victory over the Panthers to secure their 10th win of the season. The win solidified the program’s first double-digit win season in years since 2002 and 2003.
Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Malachi Toney (10) celebrates with family and friends after defeating the Pittsburgh Panthers at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on November 29, 2025. (Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images)
But thanks to a complex tiebreaker in which five teams with two conference losses battled for a spot in the conference championship, Miami will sit out while unranked Duke (7-5) plays No. 18 Virginia in the title game.
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Losing the chance to earn an automatic bid, Miami is at the mercy of the committee for an at-large playoff spot.
“We’ve got to get a little better at it,” Radakovich told ESPN on Monday about the current tiebreak system, “and I can’t tell you what the answer is right now, but I think we’ve got to look at some different things that might streamline it and make sure the league is going to put its best foot forward.”
“It’s too complicated and we need to look at other options that can make it simpler, but still take into account the idea of multiple teams being tied,” he added, “the old system probably didn’t consider four or five teams to be tied for second place.”
Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal reacts after a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Panthers in the third quarter at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on November 29, 2025. (Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images)
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With the next CFP rankings to be released on Tuesday, Radakovich also made a public plea in an open letter on Tuesday.
“I served on the CFP committee for four years, so I know firsthand what a difficult job it is. You spend weeks ranking teams, discussing strengths and weaknesses, analyzing data points and — most importantly — watching games,” he wrote in a message shared on the school’s website.
“Remember those two-loss teams I mentioned? We beat one of them. I was there—many of you were, too. It was an electric night at Hard Rock Stadium when Miami defeated Notre Dame to kick-start this terrific season. Moments like that are what make college football such a compelling sport. Let’s make sure those moments matter.”
University of Miami Athletic Director Dan Radakovich walks onto the field prior to the game against the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida on September 3, 2022. (Sam Navarro/USA TODAY Sports)
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Despite beating Notre Dame in a head-to-head, the likelihood of Miami’s playoff future doesn’t look bright.
