Big 12 Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Comments After CFP Snub as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
In a public criticism, Brett Yormark asserted that Notre Dame athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for his remarks concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Controversy
The Fighting Irish maintains a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a full member in other sports. Bevacqua has argued that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s chances to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead pushing for the selection 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 make an effort to try to undermine us in this procedure,” the athletic director remarked.
The Hurricanes eventually secured the CFP berth over Notre Dame, primarily due to winning the direct matchup between the two schools. Bevacqua additionally stated that the ACC engaged in a coordinated social media campaign over multiple weeks indicating its support for Miami.
A Strong Response
Subsequently on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner addressed the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his behavior has been unacceptable,” the commissioner commented. “He is totally out of bounds in his method and if he was in the same room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
This public pushback is especially significant given Bevacqua’s special standing. 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 Future Rumors
Yormark also remarked the assistance the ACC gave Notre Dame in the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a complete ACC schedule and a berth in its title game.
“His behavior has been egregious,” he said again. “It’s been unacceptable criticizing the ACC commissioner, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had spread about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, Yormark's public reprimand on Tuesday seem to make such a partnership highly improbable in the near term.
The Irish, who made the CFP championship game last season, have announced they plan to decline a postseason invitation after missing out this season.
