Big 12 Conference Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Comments After CFP Snub as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
At a public rebuke, Brett Yormark declared that Notre Dame's AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for recent remarks about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Dispute
The Fighting Irish maintains a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a full member in all other sports. The AD has argued that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s bid to enter the College Football Playoff, instead advocating for the spot of the University of Miami.
“They does wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we offer substantial football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would go out of your way to try to hurt us in this procedure,” the athletic director remarked.
The Hurricanes ultimately secured the CFP spot over Notre Dame, primarily due to securing the direct meeting between the two teams. Notre Dame's AD also claimed that the ACC ran a coordinated social media effort over several weeks indicating its preference for Miami.
A Strong Reaction
Subsequently on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner spoke about the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his behavior has been out of line,” the commissioner commented. “He is totally out of bounds in his tactics and if he was in the same room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
This public pushback is particularly significant given Bevacqua’s prominent position. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of independent Notre Dame.
Historical Support and Future Moves
Yormark also pointed out the assistance the ACC gave Notre Dame in the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a complete ACC schedule and a place in its championship game.
“It has been unacceptable,” he said again. “It’s been unacceptable attacking Jim Phillips, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had circulated about Notre Dame potentially leaving the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's public comments on Tuesday seem to make such a move highly improbable in the near term.
The Irish, who made the CFP final last season, have stated they plan to decline a postseason invitation after failing to qualify this season.
