Big 12 Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Comments After CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
During a strong criticism, Brett Yormark asserted that Notre Dame athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for public comments about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Controversy
The Fighting Irish maintains a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. The AD has contended that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s bid to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to pushing for the spot of the University of Miami.
“The ACC do wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we bring significant football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would make an effort to try to damage us in this selection,” Bevacqua remarked.
Miami eventually received the CFP berth over Notre Dame, mostly due to winning the direct meeting between the two schools. Notre Dame's AD also claimed that the ACC ran a targeted social media effort over multiple weeks demonstrating its support for Miami.
An Egregious Rebuke
Later on Tuesday, Yormark responded to the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his behavior has been out of line,” Yormark stated. “He is totally out of bounds in his tactics and if he was in the room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
The pushback is particularly notable given Bevacqua’s unique standing. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the interests of football independent Notre Dame.
Past Context and Speculative Rumors
The commissioner further remarked the assistance the ACC gave Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, providing the Irish a complete conference schedule and a place in its title game.
“It has been unacceptable,” Yormark reiterated. “It’s been egregious criticizing Jim Phillips, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had circulated about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. Yet, Yormark's strong comments on Tuesday appear to make such a partnership unlikely in the immediate future.
The Irish, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have stated they will decline a bowl game after failing to qualify this season.
