Big 12 Chief Calls Notre Dame Remarks Following CFP Snub as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
At a public criticism, Brett Yormark declared that Notre Dame's AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for his criticisms targeting the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Tension
Notre Dame maintains a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. The AD has contended that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s opportunities to enter the College Football Playoff, instead advocating for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“They does 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 damage us in this selection,” Bevacqua said.
The Hurricanes ultimately received the CFP berth over Notre Dame, mostly due to securing the direct contest between the two teams. Notre Dame's AD further alleged that the ACC engaged in a coordinated social media push over several weeks showing its preference for Miami.
A Strong Rebuke
Subsequently 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,” the commissioner stated. “He is completely out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
The criticism is especially striking given Bevacqua’s unique position. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the interests of football independent Notre Dame.
Past Support and Future Moves
The commissioner further highlighted the lifeline the ACC gave Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a full conference schedule and a berth in its title game.
“His behavior has been egregious,” he said again. “It’s been egregious going after the ACC commissioner, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had spread about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, Yormark's public reprimand on Tuesday appear to make such a partnership highly improbable in the immediate future.
Notre Dame, who made the CFP final last season, have stated they plan to decline a postseason invitation after missing out this season.
