Big 12 Conference Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Remarks After CFP Omission as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
During a notable rebuke, Brett Yormark declared that Notre Dame AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally 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 participating member in all other sports. Bevacqua has argued that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s opportunities to enter the College Football Playoff, instead pushing for the spot of the University of Miami.
“They do great things for Notre Dame, but we bring significant football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would make an effort to try to undermine us in this procedure,” the athletic director said.
The Hurricanes ultimately received the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, primarily due to winning the direct contest between the two teams. Bevacqua additionally stated that the ACC ran a coordinated social media effort over multiple weeks showing its support for Miami.
A Strong Rebuke
Later on Tuesday, Yormark responded to the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his actions has been out of line,” Yormark stated. “He is totally out of bounds in his tactics and if he was in the same room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
The response is particularly striking given Bevacqua’s unique role. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.
Historical Context and Speculative Rumors
Yormark further pointed out the lifeline the ACC provided Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a complete conference schedule and a berth in its title game.
“His behavior has been egregious,” he reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable going after the ACC commissioner, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had spread about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, Yormark's strong reprimand on Tuesday appear to make such a move highly improbable in the near term.
Notre Dame, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have announced they plan to decline a bowl game after failing to qualify this season.
