Big 12 Conference Chief Calls Notre Dame Remarks After CFP Snub as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
In a notable statement, Brett Yormark declared that Notre Dame athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for public criticisms about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Dispute
Notre Dame maintains a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a full member in other sports. The AD has claimed that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s chances to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead 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 go out of your way to try to hurt us in this selection,” the athletic director said.
Miami eventually received the CFP berth over Notre Dame, largely due to securing the head-to-head contest between the two schools. Bevacqua also claimed that the ACC engaged in a targeted social media push over multiple weeks showing its preference for Miami.
An Egregious Reaction
Later on Tuesday, Yormark spoke about the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his conduct has been egregious,” Yormark commented. “He is completely out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the same room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
This public pushback is particularly striking 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 independent Notre Dame.
Past Support and Speculative Moves
Yormark further remarked the support the ACC gave Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, providing the Irish a full conference schedule and a place in its championship game.
“His behavior has been egregious,” he said again. “It’s been egregious going after Jim Phillips, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had spread about Notre Dame potentially leaving the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. Yet, the commissioner's public reprimand on Tuesday appear to make such a scenario highly improbable in the near term.
Notre Dame, who reached the CFP final last season, have stated they will decline a bowl game after missing out this year.
