Big 12 Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Remarks After CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
In a strong rebuke, Brett Yormark stated that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for public remarks concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Tension
Notre Dame maintains a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a full member in other sports. The AD has claimed that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s bid to enter the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to pushing for the selection of the University of Miami.
“They do 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 hurt us in this procedure,” the athletic director said.
The Hurricanes eventually earned the CFP berth over Notre Dame, largely due to securing the direct matchup between the two teams. Bevacqua additionally stated that the ACC conducted a targeted social media push over several weeks showing its preference for Miami.
An Egregious Response
Later on Tuesday, Yormark addressed the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his actions has been egregious,” Yormark said. “He is completely out of bounds in his method and if he was in the same room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
This public response is particularly striking given Bevacqua’s unique 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 gave Notre Dame in the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a full ACC schedule and a berth in its championship game.
“It has been unacceptable,” Yormark reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable going after Jim Phillips, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had circulated about Notre Dame potentially leaving the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's pointed reprimand on Tuesday appear to make such a partnership highly improbable in the near term.
The Irish, who made the CFP championship game last season, have indicated they will decline a bowl game after failing to qualify this season.
