Big 12 Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Remarks Following CFP Snub as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
During a notable criticism, Brett Yormark asserted that Notre Dame's AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for public remarks about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Dispute
Notre Dame has a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a participating member in other sports. Bevacqua has claimed that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s opportunities to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead advocating for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“The ACC does great things for Notre Dame, but we provide significant football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would go out of your way to try to undermine us in this process,” the athletic director said.
Miami eventually earned the CFP berth over Notre Dame, mostly due to winning the head-to-head contest between the two schools. Notre Dame's AD also claimed that the ACC engaged in a coordinated social media effort over several weeks showing its preference for Miami.
An Egregious Reaction
Later on Tuesday, Yormark spoke about the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his behavior has been egregious,” Yormark commented. “He is completely out of bounds in his method and if he was in the room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
This public pushback is particularly notable given Bevacqua’s unique standing. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.
Historical Context and Speculative Moves
The commissioner also remarked the assistance the ACC offered Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a full conference schedule and a berth in its championship game.
“His behavior has been unacceptable,” he said again. “It’s been egregious criticizing Jim Phillips, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had circulated about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. Yet, Yormark's public comments on Tuesday seem to make such a scenario unlikely in the immediate future.
Notre Dame, who reached the CFP final last season, have stated they will decline a bowl game after failing to qualify this season.
