Big 12 Conference Chief Calls Notre Dame Comments Following CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
At a strong statement, Brett Yormark asserted that Notre Dame athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for public remarks concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Dispute
Notre Dame maintains a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a full member in other sports. The AD has claimed that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s bid to make the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to advocating for the selection of the University of Miami.
“The ACC do great things for Notre Dame, but we provide substantial football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would make an effort to try to damage us in this selection,” the athletic director said.
The Hurricanes eventually secured the CFP berth over Notre Dame, largely due to winning the direct meeting between the two schools. Notre Dame's AD additionally stated that the ACC conducted a coordinated social media push over several weeks indicating its preference for Miami.
A Strong Reaction
Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark spoke about the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his conduct has been out of line,” the commissioner commented. “He is totally out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
This public response is especially significant given Bevacqua’s unique role. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of independent Notre Dame.
Past Context and Future Rumors
Yormark further pointed out the lifeline the ACC gave Notre Dame in the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a full conference schedule and a place in its title game.
“His behavior has been unacceptable,” Yormark said again. “It’s been egregious criticizing 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 public comments on Tuesday seem to make such a scenario highly improbable in the immediate future.
The Irish, who made the CFP final last season, have indicated they are declining a postseason invitation after failing to qualify this year.
