Big 12 Conference Chief Calls Notre Dame Remarks Following CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
During a strong criticism, Brett Yormark stated that Notre Dame AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for public comments targeting the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Dispute
The Fighting Irish maintains a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in other sports. The AD has contended that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s opportunities to enter the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to campaigning for the selection of the University of Miami.
“The ACC does wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we provide substantial football value to the ACC, and we couldn't comprehend why you would make an effort to try to undermine us in this selection,” the athletic director said.
Miami ultimately secured the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, mostly due to winning the head-to-head contest between the two programs. Bevacqua further alleged that the ACC ran a coordinated social media effort over multiple weeks demonstrating its support for Miami.
A Strong Response
Later on Tuesday, Yormark addressed the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his actions has been egregious,” the commissioner said. “He is completely out of bounds in his tactics and if he was in the room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
The pushback is particularly striking given Bevacqua’s unique standing. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.
Past Context and Future Moves
The commissioner also highlighted the assistance the ACC gave Notre Dame during the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a complete conference schedule and a place in its championship game.
“His behavior has been unacceptable,” he reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable criticizing the ACC commissioner, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had spread about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. Yet, Yormark's public comments on Tuesday seem to make such a scenario less likely in the near term.
The Irish, who made the CFP championship game last season, have indicated they plan to decline a postseason invitation after failing to qualify this year.
