Big 12 Chief Calls Notre Dame Comments Following CFP Snub as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
At a public rebuke, Brett Yormark declared that Notre Dame's AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for recent comments concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Tension
Notre Dame has a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. Bevacqua has contended that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s bid to enter the College Football Playoff, instead campaigning for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“The ACC 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 hurt us in this process,” the athletic director said.
Miami ultimately earned the CFP berth over Notre Dame, mostly due to winning the direct matchup between the two programs. Notre Dame's AD also claimed that the ACC conducted a targeted social media campaign over several weeks showing its preference for Miami.
A Strong Response
Later on Tuesday, Yormark addressed the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his conduct has been out of line,” the commissioner commented. “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 criticism is especially notable given Bevacqua’s unique position. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the interests of football independent Notre Dame.
Historical Support and Future Moves
The commissioner also highlighted the lifeline the ACC offered Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a full conference schedule and a berth in its championship game.
“His behavior has been unacceptable,” he reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable criticizing the ACC commissioner, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had spread about Notre Dame potentially leaving the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. Yet, the commissioner's strong reprimand on Tuesday appear to make such a partnership highly improbable in the immediate future.
Notre Dame, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have indicated they plan to decline a postseason invitation after failing to qualify this season.
