Big 12 Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Comments Following CFP Omission as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
At a public criticism, Brett Yormark asserted that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for his criticisms concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Controversy
The Fighting Irish has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in other sports. Bevacqua has claimed that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s opportunities to enter the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to advocating for the inclusion 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 damage us in this process,” Bevacqua remarked.
The Hurricanes ultimately earned the CFP spot over Notre Dame, primarily due to winning the direct matchup between the two schools. Bevacqua also claimed that the ACC ran a targeted social media push over several weeks indicating its support for Miami.
A Strong Response
Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark responded to the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his conduct has been out of line,” Yormark stated. “He is totally out of bounds in his tactics and if he was in the room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
The criticism is especially notable given Bevacqua’s special position. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of independent Notre Dame.
Historical Support and Speculative Moves
Yormark further highlighted the support the ACC offered Notre Dame during the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a full conference schedule and a place in its title game.
“It has been unacceptable,” he reiterated. “It’s been egregious criticizing Jim Phillips, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had spread about Notre Dame potentially leaving the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. Yet, the commissioner's strong comments on Tuesday appear to make such a scenario highly improbable in the near term.
The Irish, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have stated they will decline a postseason invitation after failing to qualify this season.
