Big 12 Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Remarks Following CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
In a strong criticism, Brett Yormark asserted that Notre Dame's AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for his remarks concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Dispute
The Fighting Irish maintains a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. Bevacqua has contended that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s opportunities to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to advocating for the spot of the University of Miami.
“The ACC does great things for Notre Dame, but we provide significant football value to the ACC, and we couldn't comprehend why you would make an effort to try to undermine us in this process,” the athletic director said.
The Hurricanes ultimately secured the CFP spot over Notre Dame, largely due to securing the direct meeting between the two teams. Bevacqua also claimed that the ACC conducted a targeted social media campaign over multiple weeks showing its support for Miami.
An Egregious Reaction
Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark spoke about the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his behavior has been egregious,” Yormark stated. “He is completely out of bounds in his tactics and if he was in the same room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
The criticism is particularly striking given Bevacqua’s special role. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the interests of football independent Notre Dame.
Historical Support and Future Moves
The commissioner also highlighted the assistance the ACC gave Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, providing the Irish a full ACC schedule and a place in its championship game.
“It has been unacceptable,” Yormark reiterated. “It’s been egregious criticizing Jim Phillips, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had spread about Notre Dame potentially leaving the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, Yormark's strong reprimand on Tuesday seem to make such a move highly improbable in the immediate future.
Notre Dame, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have stated they plan to decline a bowl game after missing out this season.