Big 12 Chief Labels Notre Dame Comments Following CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
At a notable statement, Brett Yormark asserted that Notre Dame AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for public remarks about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Dispute
The Fighting Irish maintains a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. Bevacqua has argued that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s opportunities to make the College Football Playoff, instead campaigning for the selection of the University of Miami.
“They do great things for Notre Dame, but we offer 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 procedure,” Bevacqua remarked.
The Hurricanes ultimately secured the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, mostly due to securing the head-to-head matchup between the two schools. Notre Dame's AD also claimed that the ACC engaged in a coordinated social media campaign over multiple weeks showing its preference for Miami.
A Strong Rebuke
Later on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner responded to the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his conduct has been egregious,” the commissioner said. “He is totally out of bounds in his method and if he was in the room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
The pushback is particularly notable given Bevacqua’s special position. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the interests of independent Notre Dame.
Past Context and Speculative Moves
The commissioner also highlighted the lifeline the ACC provided Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, providing the Irish a full ACC schedule and a berth in its title game.
“It has been egregious,” Yormark said again. “It’s been egregious going after the ACC commissioner, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had circulated about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. However, Yormark's strong comments on Tuesday appear to make such a scenario unlikely in the near term.
Notre Dame, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have announced they are declining a bowl game after failing to qualify this season.
