Big 12 Conference Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Remarks Following CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
At a public statement, Brett Yormark declared that Notre Dame AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for public criticisms targeting the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Tension
Notre Dame maintains a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. Bevacqua has contended that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s opportunities to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to advocating for the selection of the University of Miami.
“They does wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we bring significant football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would make an effort to try to undermine us in this process,” the athletic director stated.
Miami eventually received the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, mostly due to securing the head-to-head matchup between the two programs. Bevacqua additionally stated that the ACC ran a targeted social media effort over several weeks indicating its support for Miami.
A Strong Rebuke
Later on Tuesday, Yormark spoke about the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his actions has been out of line,” Yormark stated. “He is completely out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the same room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
The pushback is especially notable given Bevacqua’s prominent role. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the interests of football independent Notre Dame.
Past Context and Speculative Moves
Yormark further highlighted the lifeline the ACC offered Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, providing the Irish a full ACC schedule and a place in its championship game.
“It has been egregious,” Yormark reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable going after Jim Phillips, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had spread about Notre Dame possibly leaving the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. Yet, the commissioner's strong comments on Tuesday seem to make such a move highly improbable in the near term.
The Irish, who made the CFP championship game last season, have stated they will decline a postseason invitation after missing out this season.
