Big 12 Chief Calls Notre Dame Comments Following CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
At a strong statement, Brett Yormark stated that Notre Dame athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for his remarks concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Tension
The Fighting Irish has a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a full member in other sports. The AD has contended that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s bid to make the College Football Playoff, instead pushing for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“The ACC does 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 damage us in this selection,” the athletic director remarked.
The Hurricanes eventually received the CFP spot over Notre Dame, mostly due to securing the direct meeting between the two schools. Bevacqua additionally stated that the ACC ran a coordinated social media campaign over several weeks indicating its support for Miami.
An Egregious Rebuke
Later on Tuesday, Yormark addressed the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his behavior has been egregious,” the commissioner stated. “He is totally out of bounds in his method and if he was in the room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
This public response is particularly striking given Bevacqua’s prominent role. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the interests of independent Notre Dame.
Past Context and Future Moves
The commissioner further pointed out the lifeline the ACC offered Notre Dame in the Covid-affected 2020 season, giving the Irish a full ACC schedule and a berth in its title game.
“His behavior has been unacceptable,” Yormark said again. “It’s been egregious criticizing Jim Phillips, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had circulated about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's strong reprimand on Tuesday seem to make such a scenario less likely in the immediate future.
The Irish, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have stated they will decline a bowl game after failing to qualify this season.