Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1542428
BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM FEBRUARY 2026 7 2021, these sixth-, seventh- and eighth- year seniors in college football are players who have extended their eligibility beyond the standard four years due to factors such as the blanket COVID-19 pandemic waiver granted in 2020, a blanket waiver that granted an additional year of eligi- bility to former junior college transfers in 2024, medical redshirts and transferring. We personally don't have a problem with it since it is a situation that was created by unusual circumstances. It should be noted that the 2025-26 academic year is effec- tively the final season where we will see players that are utilizing the COVID-19 waiver. While standard "super seniors" (students who take more than four years for academic reasons) will always exist, the specific, widespread phenomenon of the "COVID super senior" is fading as those athletes age out of eligibility. HEAD TO HEAD Dirk Pielech is correct. There is bias against Notre Dame in regard to the College Football Playoff. As you will recall, Florida State came to South Bend in November 1993. It was ranked No. 1 and the Irish were ranked No. 2. Notre Dame won the game and became No. 1. One week later, Boston College played the Irish in South Bend. Notre Dame was down by three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, but took the lead, With 51 seconds to go, Boston College got the ball, kicked a field goal and won the game. Although Notre Dame beat Flor- ida State and both teams had the same record, the sports writers voted Florida State No. 1 in January. Thus, the 1994 Bumper Sticker of the Year was: Notre Dame 31 National Champions 24 Go Irish! Cormac DeLaney Toledo, Ohio Mr. DeLaney, you make an excellent point. It is clear that in both instances the human element was involved , and unfortunately didn't go in Notre Dame's favor in either situation. As we watch this year's College Football Playoff unfold, it's hard not to wonder how Notre Dame would have fared if they had been included in this year's field. It is not at all far-fetched to believe they could've won it all. Alas, we'll never know. Why Some Issues Arrive Late: Understanding USPS Processing Delays At Blue & Gold Illustrated, we understand how disappointing it is to wait for coverage you look forward to — especially for readers who rely on the printed magazine. Timely delivery matters to us, and we share your frustration when an issue arrives later than expected. Please know that we have not changed our production or mailing practices. Each game report is printed and entered into the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) system the day after the game is played, just as it always has been. Once an issue is mailed, however, delivery timing is entirely managed by the USPS. In November, a major USPS processing facility experienced a significant disruption following the death of an employee on site. This led to an overwhelming backlog of mail that remained buried for weeks. As a result, fewer than 18% of our periodical subscrib- ers initially received the Navy game issue (Vol. 45, No. 9; cover date Nov. 15, 2025). As soon as we learned of the delay, we contacted the USPS and filed a formal claim. We were advised that once mail enters their system, publishers cannot re- trieve, redirect or expedite delivery. As a small independent publisher, we are also unable to send replacement copies to the thousands of subscribers affected by this delay. Unfortunately, the only option is to wait for the USPS backlog to clear. When USPS facilities experience staffing shortages, unexpected events or sudden spikes in mail volume — particularly during the holiday surge season — they often rely on a "first-in, last-out" processing approach. In these situations, newer mail continues to move through the system while older mail is temporarily set aside until capacity allows it to be processed. This can result in some subscrib- ers receiving newer issues before earlier ones. While the USPS has recently begun clearing its backlog, recovery has been slow and uneven. If you have not yet received your Navy issue, it will most likely arrive in the coming days. For readers seeking the most reliable and timely access to our coverage, we en- courage you to take advantage of our digital edition, which is the only delivery method we can guarantee, or consider an upgrade to first-class mail.* Thank you for your patience, your understanding and your continued support of Blue & Gold Illustrated and independent print journalism. * Note: First-class subscribers were also affected by USPS delays; however, most received the Navy issue within approximately 9 days. USPS does not guarantee delivery within a specific number of days, particularly during peak holiday mailing periods. CRUISE CONTROL CRUISE CONTROL Notre Dame dominates in second half Notre Dame dominates in second half with balanced effort — including Aneyas Williams' with balanced effort — including Aneyas Williams' 54-yard touchdown run — en route to 49-10 victory over Navy 54-yard touchdown run — en route to 49-10 victory over Navy EST. 1981 EST. 1981 INCLUDES PREVIEWS FOR PITTSBURGH PAGE 32 ✦ SYRACUSE PAGE 41 NOV. 15, 2025 • $5.00 NOV. 15, 2025 • $5.00 VOLUME 45 • ISSUE 9 VOLUME 45 • ISSUE 9 WWW.BLUEANDGOLD.COM WWW.BLUEANDGOLD.COM The Navy game issue (Vol. 45, No. 9) was mailed on Nov. 9, 2025, but fewer than 18% of periodical subscribers received it until after the Christmas holiday. When U.S. Postal Service facilities experience spikes in mail volume, particularly during the holiday season, they often rely on a "first-in, last-out" processing approach.