Big 12 Chief Calls Notre Dame Remarks Following CFP Snub as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
At a strong statement, Brett Yormark stated that Notre Dame AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for his comments targeting the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Tension
Notre Dame has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a full member in other sports. The AD has argued that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s opportunities to make the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to campaigning for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“They do wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we provide significant football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would make an effort to try to hurt us in this procedure,” Bevacqua said.
The Hurricanes ultimately secured the CFP spot over Notre Dame, primarily due to winning the direct meeting between the two schools. Notre Dame's AD additionally stated that the ACC ran a coordinated social media campaign over multiple weeks indicating its preference for Miami.
An Egregious Reaction
Subsequently on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner addressed the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his behavior has been unacceptable,” 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 especially significant given Bevacqua’s unique role. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of independent Notre Dame.
Past Support and Speculative Moves
The commissioner further pointed out the support the ACC offered Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a full conference schedule and a berth in its championship game.
“It has been egregious,” he reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable attacking Jim Phillips, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had circulated about Notre Dame potentially leaving the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. Yet, Yormark's pointed comments on Tuesday appear to make such a scenario unlikely in the immediate future.
Notre Dame, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have indicated they plan to decline a bowl game after missing out this season.
