Big 12 Conference Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Comments After CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
In a public criticism, Brett Yormark stated that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for recent 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 other sports. The AD has contended that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s chances to enter the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to campaigning for the selection of the University of Miami.
“The ACC does great things for Notre Dame, but we offer significant football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would make an effort to try to hurt us in this process,” Bevacqua said.
The Hurricanes eventually earned the CFP spot over Notre Dame, largely due to winning the direct matchup between the two teams. Notre Dame's AD additionally stated that the ACC engaged in a targeted social media push over several weeks indicating its preference for Miami.
An Egregious Reaction
Subsequently on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner responded to the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his actions has been unacceptable,” the commissioner said. “He is totally out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the same room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
This public pushback is particularly notable given Bevacqua’s unique role. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the concerns of independent Notre Dame.
Historical Support and Speculative Moves
The commissioner also pointed out the lifeline the ACC gave Notre Dame in the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a full conference schedule and a berth in its title game.
“It has been egregious,” he said again. “It’s been unacceptable criticizing the ACC commissioner, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had spread about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's strong comments on Tuesday appear to make such a partnership less likely in the near term.
The Irish, who reached the CFP final last season, have stated they plan to decline a postseason invitation after missing out this year.
