Big 12 Chief Labels Notre Dame Comments After CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
At a public statement, Brett Yormark stated that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for recent comments targeting the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Controversy
The Fighting Irish 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 opportunities to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to advocating for the selection of the University of Miami.
“They does great things for Notre Dame, but we offer significant football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would go out of your way to try to hurt us in this process,” the athletic director said.
Miami eventually earned the CFP spot over Notre Dame, largely due to securing the direct meeting between the two teams. Bevacqua additionally stated that the ACC conducted a targeted social media push over multiple weeks demonstrating its preference for Miami.
A Strong Rebuke
Later on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner responded to the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his actions has been egregious,” Yormark commented. “He is completely out of bounds in his tactics and if he was in the room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
The response is particularly significant given Bevacqua’s prominent position. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the interests of independent Notre Dame.
Past Context and Future Rumors
Yormark further remarked the lifeline the ACC provided Notre Dame during the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a complete conference schedule and a place in its title game.
“His behavior has been unacceptable,” he said again. “It’s been egregious criticizing the ACC commissioner, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had spread about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's pointed comments on Tuesday appear to make such a partnership less likely in the immediate future.
Notre Dame, who reached the CFP final last season, have announced they will decline a postseason invitation after missing out this year.
