Big 12 Conference Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Remarks After CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
In a notable rebuke, Brett Yormark stated that Notre Dame's AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for public comments targeting the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Controversy
The Fighting Irish maintains a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. Bevacqua has argued that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s bid to enter the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to campaigning for the spot of the University of Miami.
“They does wonderful 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 undermine us in this process,” Bevacqua stated.
Miami eventually received the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, largely due to winning the direct contest between the two schools. Bevacqua additionally stated that the ACC conducted a targeted social media effort over multiple weeks showing its support for Miami.
A Strong Response
Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark responded to the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his conduct has been egregious,” Yormark commented. “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 especially striking given Bevacqua’s prominent role. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the interests of independent Notre Dame.
Past Support and Future Moves
The commissioner also pointed out the lifeline the ACC offered Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, providing the Irish a full ACC schedule and a berth in its championship game.
“It has been egregious,” he said again. “It’s been unacceptable 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 public comments on Tuesday seem to make such a scenario unlikely in the near term.
The Irish, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have stated they are declining a postseason invitation after missing out this year.
