Big 12 Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Remarks After CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
At a public criticism, Brett Yormark stated that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for his remarks targeting the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Controversy
Notre Dame has a gridiron scheduling agreement 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 make the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to pushing for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“The ACC do wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we offer tremendous football value to the ACC, and we couldn't comprehend why you would make an effort to try to hurt us in this selection,” the athletic director remarked.
The Hurricanes eventually received the CFP berth over Notre Dame, largely due to securing the head-to-head matchup between the two schools. Bevacqua additionally stated that the ACC engaged in a coordinated social media effort over several weeks showing its support for Miami.
An Egregious Response
Later on Tuesday, Yormark spoke about the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his behavior has been unacceptable,” the commissioner said. “He is completely out of bounds in his tactics and if he was in the room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
This public criticism is particularly striking given Bevacqua’s unique role. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the interests of independent Notre Dame.
Past Context and Speculative Rumors
Yormark further pointed out the support the ACC provided Notre Dame during the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a full conference schedule and a place in its championship game.
“It has been egregious,” he reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable criticizing the ACC commissioner, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had spread about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's public reprimand on Tuesday appear to make such a move unlikely in the near term.
The Irish, who made the CFP championship game last season, have stated they will decline a bowl game after missing out this season.
