Big 12 Conference Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Remarks Following CFP Omission as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
During a strong statement, Brett Yormark asserted that Notre Dame athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for his remarks about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Controversy
The Fighting Irish has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a full member in other sports. The AD has argued that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s chances to enter the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to advocating for the selection of the University of Miami.
“The ACC does wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we provide tremendous football value to the ACC, and we couldn't comprehend why you would make an effort to try to damage us in this procedure,” the athletic director stated.
Miami ultimately secured the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, largely due to securing the head-to-head contest between the two programs. Bevacqua also claimed that the ACC ran a targeted social media push over multiple weeks showing its support for Miami.
An Egregious Response
Later on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner spoke about the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his conduct has been egregious,” Yormark stated. “He is completely out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the same room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
This public response is especially striking given Bevacqua’s unique role. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of independent Notre Dame.
Past Support and Future Rumors
The commissioner also highlighted the assistance the ACC provided Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, providing the Irish a full ACC schedule and a place in its title game.
“His behavior has been unacceptable,” Yormark said again. “It’s been egregious criticizing the ACC commissioner, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had spread about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's strong reprimand on Tuesday seem to make such a move unlikely in the immediate future.
Notre Dame, who made the CFP championship game last season, have stated they plan to decline a postseason invitation after missing out this year.
