Big 12 Conference Commissioner Labels Notre Dame Comments After CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
In a strong criticism, Brett Yormark asserted that Notre Dame's AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for recent criticisms about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Dispute
Notre Dame has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. The AD has argued that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s opportunities to enter the College Football Playoff, instead advocating for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“The ACC does great things for Notre Dame, but we offer substantial football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would go out of your way to try to hurt us in this selection,” Bevacqua stated.
The Hurricanes eventually secured the CFP spot over Notre Dame, largely due to securing the head-to-head contest between the two programs. Bevacqua additionally stated that the ACC engaged in a coordinated social media campaign over several weeks demonstrating its support for Miami.
An Egregious Rebuke
Later on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner spoke about the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his actions has been out of line,” Yormark commented. “He is completely out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the same room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
This public criticism is especially notable given Bevacqua’s prominent standing. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the interests of independent Notre Dame.
Past Support and Speculative Moves
Yormark further remarked the lifeline the ACC provided Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a full ACC schedule and a berth in its title game.
“It has been egregious,” Yormark reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable criticizing Jim Phillips, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had circulated about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's pointed comments on Tuesday appear to make such a scenario highly improbable in the immediate future.
Notre Dame, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have indicated they will decline a bowl game after missing out this season.
