Big 12 Conference Commissioner Labels Notre Dame Comments Following CFP Snub as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
In a strong criticism, Brett Yormark declared that Notre Dame AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for his criticisms about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Tension
The Fighting Irish has a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a full member in other sports. Bevacqua has argued that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s chances to enter the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to campaigning for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“They do wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we offer tremendous football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would make an effort to try to damage us in this process,” the athletic director stated.
The Hurricanes ultimately earned the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, largely due to winning the direct contest between the two schools. Notre Dame's AD also claimed that the ACC engaged in a coordinated social media push over several weeks demonstrating its preference for Miami.
An Egregious Reaction
Later on Tuesday, Yormark spoke about the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his actions has been egregious,” the commissioner stated. “He is completely out of bounds in his tactics and if he was in the room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
The pushback is particularly striking given Bevacqua’s unique standing. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of independent Notre Dame.
Historical Support and Future Moves
Yormark also pointed out the support the ACC provided Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, providing the Irish a complete ACC schedule and a place in its championship game.
“His behavior has been unacceptable,” he said again. “It’s been unacceptable going after the ACC commissioner, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had spread about Notre Dame potentially leaving the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, Yormark's pointed reprimand on Tuesday appear to make such a move unlikely in the immediate future.
The Irish, who reached the CFP final last season, have stated they will decline a bowl game after missing out this year.
