Big 12 Chief Calls Notre Dame Comments Following CFP Omission as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
During a public statement, Brett Yormark stated that Notre Dame's AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for public remarks about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Dispute
The Fighting Irish has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a full member in all other sports. Bevacqua has argued that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s bid to make the College Football Playoff, instead pushing for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“They does great things for Notre Dame, but we bring 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 stated.
Miami ultimately earned the CFP berth over Notre Dame, primarily due to securing the direct matchup between the two programs. Notre Dame's AD further alleged that the ACC ran a targeted social media campaign over several weeks indicating its preference for Miami.
An Egregious Rebuke
Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark responded to the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his actions has been egregious,” the commissioner commented. “He is totally out of bounds in his method and if he was in the same room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
This public pushback is especially significant given Bevacqua’s special standing. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.
Past Context and Speculative Moves
The commissioner further highlighted the support the ACC gave Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, providing the Irish a full conference schedule and a berth in its championship game.
“His behavior has been unacceptable,” he said again. “It’s been unacceptable attacking the ACC commissioner, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had spread about Notre Dame potentially leaving the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. Yet, the commissioner's strong comments on Tuesday seem to make such a partnership less likely in the immediate future.
Notre Dame, who made the CFP championship game last season, have indicated they plan to decline a postseason invitation after missing out this season.
