Big 12 Conference Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Comments After CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
During a public rebuke, Brett Yormark declared that Notre Dame's AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for his criticisms concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Dispute
The Fighting Irish has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. The AD has claimed that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s chances to make the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to advocating for the selection of the University of Miami.
“The ACC do great things for Notre Dame, but we provide substantial football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would make an effort to try to undermine us in this process,” Bevacqua remarked.
Miami eventually secured the CFP spot over Notre Dame, largely due to winning the head-to-head meeting between the two schools. Bevacqua additionally stated that the ACC engaged in a coordinated social media effort over multiple weeks indicating its preference for Miami.
An Egregious Rebuke
Later on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner addressed the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his actions has been unacceptable,” Yormark stated. “He is completely out of bounds in his method and if he was in the room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
The response is especially striking given Bevacqua’s prominent role. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.
Historical Context and Future Rumors
The commissioner also highlighted the support the ACC provided Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a complete conference schedule and a place in its championship game.
“It has been egregious,” Yormark reiterated. “It’s been egregious going after the ACC commissioner, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had circulated about Notre Dame potentially leaving the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. Yet, Yormark's pointed reprimand on Tuesday seem to make such a partnership unlikely in the near term.
The Irish, who made the CFP final last season, have announced they plan to decline a postseason invitation after failing to qualify this season.
