Big 12 Chief Labels Notre Dame Remarks After CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
At a notable criticism, Brett Yormark asserted that Notre Dame athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for his comments about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Tension
The Fighting Irish maintains a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a full member in other sports. Bevacqua has claimed that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s chances to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to pushing for the spot of the University of Miami.
“They do wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we offer tremendous football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would go out of your way to try to undermine us in this selection,” the athletic director remarked.
The Hurricanes eventually received the CFP berth over Notre Dame, primarily due to winning the head-to-head meeting between the two programs. Bevacqua additionally stated that the ACC conducted a coordinated social media campaign over several weeks showing its support for Miami.
An Egregious Reaction
Subsequently on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner responded to the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his behavior has been out of line,” the commissioner said. “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 particularly notable given Bevacqua’s special position. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.
Past Support and Future Moves
Yormark also highlighted the support the ACC provided Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, providing the Irish a full conference schedule and a berth in its championship game.
“It has been unacceptable,” Yormark reiterated. “It’s been egregious going after Jim Phillips, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had spread about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, Yormark's strong reprimand on Tuesday seem to make such a move less likely in the near term.
The Irish, who reached the CFP final last season, have announced they are declining a postseason invitation after missing out this year.
