Big 12 Conference Chief Labels Notre Dame Comments After CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
At a notable statement, Brett Yormark stated that Notre Dame's AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for recent remarks targeting the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Tension
The Fighting Irish has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in other sports. Bevacqua has argued that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s bid to make the College Football Playoff, instead pushing for the spot of the University of Miami.
“The ACC does wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we bring significant football value to the ACC, and we couldn't comprehend why you would make an effort to try to hurt us in this selection,” Bevacqua remarked.
Miami eventually received the CFP spot over Notre Dame, mostly due to winning the head-to-head meeting between the two schools. Bevacqua also claimed that the ACC ran a targeted social media push over multiple weeks indicating its preference for Miami.
An Egregious Response
Subsequently on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner spoke about the comments 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 approach and if he was in the same room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
This public pushback is particularly significant given Bevacqua’s special role. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the interests of football independent Notre Dame.
Historical Context and Future Moves
The commissioner also pointed out the assistance the ACC offered Notre Dame in the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a full conference schedule and a place in its championship game.
“It has been egregious,” Yormark said again. “It’s been unacceptable attacking the ACC commissioner, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had circulated about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. Yet, the commissioner's public comments on Tuesday seem to make such a scenario unlikely in the near term.
The Irish, who made the CFP championship game last season, have announced they are declining a bowl game after missing out this season.