Big 12 Commissioner Labels Notre Dame Remarks Following CFP Omission as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
In a strong statement, Brett Yormark declared that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for recent remarks about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Controversy
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 actively damaged Notre Dame’s chances to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead pushing for the selection of the University of Miami.
“The ACC do wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we bring substantial football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would make an effort to try to damage us in this procedure,” Bevacqua stated.
The Hurricanes ultimately earned the CFP berth over Notre Dame, largely due to winning the direct contest between the two teams. Bevacqua also claimed that the ACC conducted a coordinated social media campaign over multiple weeks showing its preference for Miami.
A Strong Reaction
Later on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner responded to the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his behavior has been unacceptable,” the commissioner commented. “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 pushback is particularly notable given Bevacqua’s prominent position. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the concerns of independent Notre Dame.
Historical Context and Future Moves
Yormark further pointed out the support the ACC gave Notre Dame in the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a full ACC schedule and a berth in its title game.
“It has been unacceptable,” he reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable criticizing the ACC commissioner, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had circulated about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's strong reprimand on Tuesday seem to make such a move less likely in the immediate future.
The Irish, who reached the CFP final last season, have indicated they are declining a bowl game after failing to qualify this season.
