IN 1969, LSU was (9-1), ranked # 10 and looked to be in-line for a Cotton Bowl berth opposite #01 (10-0) Texas. At the last minute, Notre Dame decided to end their non-Bowl participation since their one and only appearance in the 1925 Rose Bowl (with the Four Horsemen). When that happened, the Cotton Bowl invited Notre Dame which was even more desirable then than now.Thanks. Sorry buddy. These bowl games are indeed meaningless. Hence why the players didn’t want to play
Meanwhile, LSU was extended a bid to the Gator Bowl, but the LSU team voted to not go for the same reason ND is not Bowling this year. Crushed, despondent, bitter, etc. Meanwhile, Alabama (6-4) was invited to the Liberty Bowl to play Colorado (7-3) for the same reasons that 6 and 7 win teams Bowl now and generally enjoy going. Not much has changed actually.
Kind of ironic about the full circle with Notre Dame (8-1-1) and ranked # 05 ending their Bowl drought in 1969 and deciding to not Bowl in 2025 with an excellent (10-2) team that was shunned much like LSU (9-1) from the Cotton in 1969.
