Big 12 Conference Commissioner Labels Notre Dame Comments Following CFP Snub as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
In a strong statement, Brett Yormark stated that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for public remarks concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Controversy
Notre Dame has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in other sports. Bevacqua has claimed that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s bid to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead pushing for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“They 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 selection,” the athletic director stated.
The Hurricanes eventually received the CFP berth over Notre Dame, mostly due to winning the direct matchup between the two schools. Bevacqua further alleged that the ACC ran a targeted social media campaign over several weeks demonstrating its support for Miami.
An Egregious Reaction
Later on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner addressed the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his actions has been unacceptable,” the commissioner stated. “He is totally out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the same room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
The response is especially notable given Bevacqua’s unique position. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the interests of independent Notre Dame.
Past Support and Future Rumors
Yormark further pointed out the support the ACC provided Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, providing the Irish a complete conference schedule and a place in its championship game.
“His behavior has been egregious,” Yormark said again. “It’s been unacceptable criticizing Jim Phillips, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had spread about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, Yormark's strong reprimand on Tuesday seem to make such a scenario less likely in the immediate future.
Notre Dame, who made the CFP final last season, have indicated they will decline a postseason invitation after failing to qualify this season.
