Big 12 Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Comments Following CFP Snub as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
In a notable criticism, Brett Yormark declared that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for his remarks concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Tension
Notre Dame maintains a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a participating member in other sports. Bevacqua has claimed that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s opportunities to enter the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to advocating for the spot of the University of Miami.
“The ACC does great things for Notre Dame, but we bring significant football value to the ACC, and we couldn't comprehend why you would go out of your way to try to undermine us in this selection,” the athletic director remarked.
Miami eventually earned the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, mostly due to winning 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
Subsequently on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner addressed the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his conduct has been out of line,” the commissioner said. “He is totally out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
The pushback is especially striking given Bevacqua’s prominent role. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.
Historical Support and Speculative Moves
The commissioner also remarked the lifeline the ACC gave Notre Dame during the Covid-affected 2020 season, giving the Irish a complete conference schedule and a berth in its championship game.
“It has been unacceptable,” he said again. “It’s been unacceptable attacking the ACC commissioner, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had circulated about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, Yormark's public reprimand on Tuesday seem to make such a move less likely in the near term.
The Irish, who reached the CFP final last season, have announced they plan to decline a bowl game after missing out this season.