Big 12 Conference Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Remarks Following CFP Snub as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
During a notable statement, Brett Yormark declared that Notre Dame's AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for public comments targeting the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Controversy
Notre Dame maintains a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a full member in all other sports. The AD has contended that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s bid to enter the College Football Playoff, instead pushing for the selection of the University of Miami.
“They does great things for Notre Dame, but we bring tremendous football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would make an effort to try to hurt us in this procedure,” Bevacqua stated.
The Hurricanes ultimately earned the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, largely due to securing the head-to-head matchup between the two schools. Notre Dame's AD also claimed that the ACC engaged in a targeted social media effort over several weeks indicating its preference for Miami.
A Strong Reaction
Later on Tuesday, Yormark spoke about the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his actions has been unacceptable,” Yormark said. “He is totally out of bounds in his tactics and if he was in the room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
The criticism is especially significant given Bevacqua’s special standing. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the interests of independent Notre Dame.
Past Support and Future Moves
Yormark also remarked the lifeline the ACC gave Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a full ACC schedule and a berth in its title game.
“His behavior has been unacceptable,” he reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable going after Jim Phillips, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had spread about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. Yet, Yormark's public reprimand on Tuesday seem to make such a partnership less likely in the immediate future.
Notre Dame, who reached the CFP final last season, have indicated they plan to decline a postseason invitation after failing to qualify this year.
