Big 12 Conference Commissioner Labels Notre Dame Remarks Following CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
At a notable rebuke, Brett Yormark declared that Notre Dame AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for his comments about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Dispute
The Fighting Irish maintains a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a participating member in other sports. Bevacqua has argued that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s bid to make the College Football Playoff, instead campaigning for the spot of the University of Miami.
“The ACC do wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we offer significant football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would make an effort to try to hurt us in this process,” the athletic director said.
Miami ultimately earned the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, mostly due to securing the direct contest between the two schools. Notre Dame's AD further alleged that the ACC ran a coordinated social media push over several weeks demonstrating its support for Miami.
An Egregious Response
Later on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner responded to the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his conduct has been egregious,” Yormark commented. “He is completely out of bounds in his method and if he was in the room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
This public response is especially significant given Bevacqua’s prominent role. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the interests of independent Notre Dame.
Historical Support and Speculative Moves
The commissioner further pointed out the lifeline the ACC gave Notre Dame in the Covid-affected 2020 season, giving the Irish a full ACC schedule and a berth in its title game.
“It has been unacceptable,” he reiterated. “It’s been egregious going after the ACC commissioner, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had circulated about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's public reprimand on Tuesday appear to make such a move highly improbable in the immediate future.
The Irish, who made the CFP final last season, have indicated they will decline a bowl game after failing to qualify this season.