Can a Game Result Be Overturned?

Almost never, and not in college football once the referee ends the game. NCAA football Rule 1-1-3-b says it in one sentence: "When the referee declares that the game is ended, the score is final." Rule 5-2-9 adds that no rule decision may be changed after the next legal snap or after the second or fourth period has ended.

That's why Notre Dame's 28-24 loss at BYU on 17 October 2026 stands, even though the Big 12 said time remained on the clock and the replay crew wrongly cleared the final play (ESPN). It's also why Western Michigan's 13-12 loss at Michigan stands, even though the NCAA's FBS Oversight Committee wrote that the outcome "would have been different" if the replay protocols had been followed (NCAA).

Courts don't change results either. Georgia's Supreme Court held in 1981 that courts of equity have no authority to review football referees' decisions (Waddell), and the Saints no-call lawsuits in 2019 went nowhere (Badeaux).

My verdict: No. When the referee ends the game, the score is final.

The rules. The finality rule is a playing rule, not a policy preference. The NCAA committee quoted both rules when it said it "does not have the authority to overturn the contest" (NCAA). Nothing in the NCAA football rules gives a conference, the NCAA or the College Football Playoff a mechanism to reverse a final score for an officiating error.

The test case: Michigan–Western Michigan, 5 September 2026. Western Michigan led 12-7 when a Michigan Hail Mary fell incomplete with the TV clock at zero. Big Ten replay put one second back, and Michigan scored on the next play to win 13-12. The Mid-American Conference appealed on 8 September, arguing the crew used the wrong clock feed (MAC). On 16 September the FBS Oversight Committee agreed the protocols weren't followed and still declined to overturn the result (NCAA). The College Football Playoff said it can't change regular-season results either, though its committee evaluates games as played using a broad range of inputs (Fox Sports).

Notre Dame–BYU, 17 October 2026. With five seconds left and Notre Dame trailing by four, CJ Carr's last pass fell incomplete in the end zone and the game was declared over. Replays showed one second left. The Big 12 said time remained and the replay crew incorrectly cleared the play, and said it would review its end-of-game process (Salt Lake Tribune / The Athletic). The score stays 28-24.

The one path that has worked: the winner gives it back. On 16 November 1940, No. 2 Cornell beat Dartmouth 7-3 on a touchdown scored on a fifth down. After the referee admitted a "very grave error," Cornell's president gave up the win by telegram, and the game went into the books as Dartmouth 3, Cornell 0 (NCAA.com). No rule required it, and no rule requires any team to do it now.

"If the league admits the mistake, the result has to change." No. Western Michigan got a written admission from the NCAA's own committee and still has the loss.

"A court can order a replay." A Georgia trial judge tried in 1981, ordering two high school teams back on the field. The Georgia Supreme Court reversed: "courts of equity in this state are without authority to review decisions of football referees because those decisions do not present judicial controversies" (Waddell). Conferences and the NCAA are private associations, and courts give them wide room to run their own competitions.

"The NFL would fix it." The NFL's rulebook does give the commissioner power to reverse a result after an "extraordinary act." After the 2019 NFC Championship no-call, Saints season-ticket holders asked a federal court to make Roger Goodell use it. Judge Susie Morgan refused, explaining that mandamus requires an unequivocal duty imposed by law and the fans weren't members of the league (Badeaux v. Goodell); the plaintiffs dismissed the case on 1 March 2019. A separate suit was thrown out by the Louisiana Supreme Court in September 2019: "The courts are not the proper forum to litigate such disputes" (ESPN).

"My bet should be regraded." Sportsbooks settle on the official result. DraftKings' posted house rules settle on the official statistics at the time the bet is first settled (DraftKings); FanDuel's retail house rules settle on the official result regardless of any later amendment (FanDuel).

College football (NCAA). No reversal mechanism. Rules 1-1-3-b and 5-2-9 make the score final once the referee ends the game (NCAA).

NFL. The commissioner has a reversal power for extraordinary acts, but the league did not use it after the 2019 no-call and courts declined to force it (Badeaux).

High school. State associations run their own rules; Georgia's Supreme Court held courts won't review referee decisions (Waddell).

The common thread. Judgment calls (holding, pass interference, interceptions) are even harder to challenge than an objective clock error. Finality is the rule that holds the system together.

As of 18 October 2026. Notre Dame fell from No. 2 to No. 4 in the AP poll; BYU rose to No. 2. The first College Football Playoff rankings are 3 November (CFP).

The Big 12's review. The conference said it would review its end-of-game officiating process before the next weekend's games.

The CFP committee. It can't change the result, but it evaluates games as played. USA Today notes Notre Dame's agreement with the playoff puts the Irish in the field if they finish in the committee's top 12 (USA Today).

Replay accountability. The NCAA issued a new end-of-half timing interpretation on 8 September after Michigan–Western Michigan (NCAA). Twice this season a single second decided a game. The fix runs through the replay booth, not the courts.

Watch the breakdown. The full explainer is above: Can Notre Dame's Loss to BYU Be Overturned? Why the Rulebook Says No (9 minutes).