Big 12 Conference Chief Labels Notre Dame Remarks Following CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
At a strong criticism, Brett Yormark stated that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for his criticisms targeting the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Tension
The Fighting Irish maintains a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a full member in other sports. Bevacqua has claimed that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s chances to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead campaigning for the spot of the University of Miami.
“They does wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we offer tremendous 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 procedure,” Bevacqua stated.
The Hurricanes eventually received the CFP spot over Notre Dame, largely due to winning the head-to-head meeting between the two programs. Bevacqua also claimed that the ACC engaged in a coordinated social media push over multiple weeks indicating its preference for Miami.
An Egregious Reaction
Subsequently on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner addressed the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his actions has been egregious,” the commissioner commented. “He is completely out of bounds in his method and if he was in the same room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
This public criticism is especially significant given Bevacqua’s prominent role. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the interests of independent Notre Dame.
Historical Support and Future Moves
The commissioner also highlighted the lifeline the ACC provided Notre Dame during the Covid-affected 2020 season, giving the Irish a complete ACC schedule and a berth in its title game.
“It has been unacceptable,” Yormark said again. “It’s been unacceptable criticizing Jim Phillips, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had circulated about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, Yormark's pointed reprimand on Tuesday appear to make such a scenario less likely in the immediate future.
Notre Dame, who made the CFP final last season, have announced they plan to decline a postseason invitation after missing out this season.
