Big 12 Conference Chief Labels Notre Dame Remarks After CFP Snub as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
In a strong statement, Brett Yormark declared that Notre Dame athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for public comments targeting the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Controversy
The Fighting Irish has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. Bevacqua has contended that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s chances to enter the College Football Playoff, instead campaigning for the selection of the University of Miami.
“The ACC does great 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 hurt us in this procedure,” Bevacqua stated.
The Hurricanes eventually received the CFP berth over Notre Dame, mostly due to winning the head-to-head contest between the two programs. Bevacqua additionally stated that the ACC engaged in a coordinated social media push over several weeks indicating its preference for Miami.
An Egregious Reaction
Later on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner responded to the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his conduct has been egregious,” Yormark stated. “He is totally out of bounds in his method and if he was in the room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
The response is particularly notable given Bevacqua’s unique position. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.
Historical Context and Future Moves
Yormark further highlighted the assistance the ACC provided Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, providing the Irish a complete conference schedule and a berth in its title game.
“His behavior has been egregious,” he said again. “It’s been unacceptable criticizing the ACC commissioner, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had circulated about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. However, Yormark's pointed comments on Tuesday seem to make such a move highly improbable in the near term.
Notre Dame, who made the CFP final last season, have stated they are declining a postseason invitation after failing to qualify this season.
