Big 12 Conference Chief Calls Notre Dame Comments Following CFP Omission as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
During a public criticism, Brett Yormark stated that Notre Dame's AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for public criticisms about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Tension
The Fighting Irish maintains a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. The AD has argued that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s opportunities to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to pushing for the selection of the University of Miami.
“The ACC do wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we bring substantial football value to the ACC, and we couldn't comprehend why you would make an effort to try to undermine us in this procedure,” the athletic director remarked.
The Hurricanes eventually secured the CFP berth over Notre Dame, largely due to securing the direct matchup between the two programs. Bevacqua additionally stated that the ACC ran a coordinated social media campaign over several weeks demonstrating its support for Miami.
An Egregious Response
Later on Tuesday, Yormark addressed the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his conduct has been egregious,” Yormark stated. “He is totally out of bounds in his method and if he was in the same room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
This public response is especially significant given Bevacqua’s special standing. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the interests of football independent Notre Dame.
Past Context and Speculative Moves
The commissioner further remarked the lifeline the ACC gave Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a complete ACC schedule and a berth in its championship game.
“It has been egregious,” he reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable attacking the ACC commissioner, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had circulated about Notre Dame potentially leaving the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. Yet, Yormark's strong reprimand on Tuesday appear to make such a scenario highly improbable in the near term.
The Irish, who made the CFP championship game last season, have indicated they will decline a bowl game after failing to qualify this year.
