Big 12 Commissioner Labels Notre Dame Remarks After CFP Snub as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
In a public rebuke, Brett Yormark stated that Notre Dame's AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely 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 other sports. The AD has argued that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s bid to make the College Football Playoff, instead advocating for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“They does great things for Notre Dame, but we provide tremendous football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would go out of your way to try to damage us in this process,” the athletic director said.
Miami ultimately received the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, primarily due to securing the direct contest between the two schools. Notre Dame's AD further alleged that the ACC conducted a targeted social media push over several weeks demonstrating its preference for Miami.
A Strong Response
Subsequently on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner addressed the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his behavior has been out of line,” the commissioner stated. “He is completely out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
This public pushback is especially striking given Bevacqua’s prominent position. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the concerns of independent Notre Dame.
Past Support and Speculative Moves
Yormark also pointed out the support the ACC gave Notre Dame in the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a full ACC schedule and a place in its championship game.
“It has been unacceptable,” Yormark reiterated. “It’s been egregious criticizing the ACC commissioner, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had circulated about Notre Dame potentially leaving the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, Yormark's pointed comments on Tuesday seem to make such a partnership unlikely in the immediate future.
Notre Dame, who made the CFP final last season, have announced they will decline a bowl game after failing to qualify this season.
