Big 12 Chief Labels Notre Dame Comments Following CFP Omission as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
During a public statement, Brett Yormark declared that Notre Dame AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for his comments about 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 all other sports. Bevacqua has contended that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s opportunities to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead advocating for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“The ACC does wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we bring tremendous football value to the ACC, and we couldn't comprehend why you would go out of your way to try to hurt us in this procedure,” Bevacqua said.
Miami ultimately secured the CFP berth over Notre Dame, largely due to securing the head-to-head meeting between the two teams. Bevacqua further alleged that the ACC ran a coordinated social media push over several weeks indicating its support for Miami.
An Egregious Rebuke
Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark addressed the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his conduct has been out of line,” Yormark stated. “He is completely out of bounds in his tactics and if he was in the room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
The response is particularly significant given Bevacqua’s prominent role. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the concerns of independent Notre Dame.
Historical Context and Speculative Rumors
Yormark further pointed out the assistance the ACC offered Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a full ACC schedule and a berth in its championship game.
“His behavior has been unacceptable,” Yormark reiterated. “It’s been egregious criticizing the ACC commissioner, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had circulated about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's public reprimand on Tuesday appear to make such a move less likely in the near term.
Notre Dame, who made the CFP final last season, have indicated they plan to decline a bowl game after failing to qualify this season.
