Big 12 Conference Chief Calls Notre Dame Comments After CFP Snub as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
At a public rebuke, Brett Yormark asserted that Notre Dame athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for recent remarks targeting the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Tension
Notre Dame has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a full member in other sports. The AD has argued that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s opportunities to make the College Football Playoff, instead pushing for the selection of the University of Miami.
“The ACC do wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we offer 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 selection,” Bevacqua remarked.
Miami eventually secured the CFP spot over Notre Dame, mostly due to winning the direct meeting between the two programs. Notre Dame's AD also claimed that the ACC engaged in a targeted social media effort over multiple weeks showing its support for Miami.
An Egregious Rebuke
Later on Tuesday, Yormark responded to the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his behavior has been unacceptable,” Yormark stated. “He is completely out of bounds in his method and if he was in the room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
The response is particularly notable given Bevacqua’s prominent standing. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the interests of football independent Notre Dame.
Historical Context and Future Moves
The commissioner also remarked the lifeline the ACC provided Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, providing the Irish a complete conference schedule and a place in its title game.
“It has been egregious,” he said again. “It’s been unacceptable 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. Yet, the commissioner's pointed comments on Tuesday appear to make such a move less likely in the immediate future.
The Irish, who reached the CFP final last season, have indicated they are declining a bowl game after failing to qualify this season.
