Big 12 Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Comments Following CFP Omission as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
During a strong statement, Brett Yormark asserted that Notre Dame's AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for public remarks about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Tension
Notre Dame has a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a participating member in other sports. The AD has argued that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s chances to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead pushing for the selection of the University of Miami.
“The ACC does great things for Notre Dame, but we bring substantial 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 selection,” Bevacqua said.
The Hurricanes eventually secured the CFP spot over Notre Dame, largely due to securing the head-to-head meeting between the two programs. Bevacqua further alleged that the ACC engaged in a coordinated social media effort over several weeks demonstrating its preference for Miami.
A Strong Reaction
Subsequently on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner spoke about the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his behavior has been out of line,” the commissioner commented. “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 criticism is particularly notable given Bevacqua’s prominent role. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of independent Notre Dame.
Historical Context and Speculative Moves
Yormark further highlighted the lifeline the ACC offered Notre Dame in the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a full ACC schedule and a berth in its championship game.
“His behavior has been egregious,” he said again. “It’s been egregious going after the ACC commissioner, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had circulated about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. Yet, the commissioner's strong reprimand on Tuesday appear to make such a move less likely in the immediate future.
The Irish, who reached the CFP final last season, have announced they will decline a bowl game after failing to qualify this year.
