Big 12 Conference Commissioner Labels Notre Dame Comments After CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
At a strong criticism, Brett Yormark asserted that Notre Dame AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for recent criticisms concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Controversy
The Fighting Irish has a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. The AD has claimed that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s bid to enter the College Football Playoff, instead advocating for the spot of the University of Miami.
“The ACC do wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we provide 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,” the athletic director said.
The Hurricanes eventually received the CFP spot over Notre Dame, primarily due to securing the head-to-head meeting between the two schools. Notre Dame's AD further alleged that the ACC engaged in a targeted social media campaign over several weeks showing its support for Miami.
A Strong Response
Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark spoke about the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his conduct has been out of line,” Yormark said. “He is completely out of bounds in his tactics and if he was in the room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
The criticism is particularly significant given Bevacqua’s special standing. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the interests of football independent Notre Dame.
Historical Support and Speculative Moves
The commissioner further pointed out the support the ACC offered Notre Dame during the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a full conference schedule and a berth in its title game.
“His behavior has been egregious,” he reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable criticizing Jim Phillips, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had spread about Notre Dame potentially leaving the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. Yet, Yormark's pointed reprimand on Tuesday seem to make such a partnership highly improbable in the near term.
Notre Dame, who reached the CFP final last season, have announced they plan to decline a bowl game after failing to qualify this season.
