Big 12 Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Comments Following CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
At a notable rebuke, Brett Yormark declared that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for his comments 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. Bevacqua has claimed that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s chances to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to pushing for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“The ACC does wonderful 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 damage us in this selection,” the athletic director remarked.
The Hurricanes ultimately received the CFP berth over Notre Dame, largely due to winning the direct matchup between the two schools. Bevacqua also claimed that the ACC ran a targeted social media campaign over several weeks indicating its support for Miami.
A Strong Reaction
Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark responded to the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his behavior has been unacceptable,” the commissioner said. “He is totally out of bounds in his method and if he was in the same room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
The criticism is especially significant given Bevacqua’s prominent position. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the interests of football independent Notre Dame.
Past Support and Speculative Rumors
Yormark further remarked the assistance the ACC offered Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, providing the Irish a complete ACC schedule and a place in its championship game.
“His behavior has been egregious,” he reiterated. “It’s been egregious going after the ACC commissioner, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had circulated about Notre Dame potentially leaving the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. Yet, the commissioner's pointed comments on Tuesday appear to make such a partnership highly improbable in the immediate future.
Notre Dame, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have announced they are declining a bowl game after failing to qualify this season.
