Big 12 Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Remarks Following CFP Omission as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
During a public criticism, Brett Yormark declared that Notre Dame's AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for public remarks targeting the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Controversy
The Fighting Irish has a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a participating member in other sports. Bevacqua has contended that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s opportunities to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead advocating for the selection of the University of Miami.
“The ACC 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 hurt us in this process,” Bevacqua remarked.
Miami eventually received the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, primarily due to winning the direct meeting between the two programs. Bevacqua additionally stated that the ACC engaged in a coordinated social media push over multiple weeks indicating its preference for Miami.
An Egregious Rebuke
Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark responded to the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his conduct has been egregious,” Yormark commented. “He is completely out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
The response is particularly significant given Bevacqua’s prominent position. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the interests of football independent Notre Dame.
Past Context and Speculative Rumors
The commissioner also highlighted the lifeline the ACC gave Notre Dame in the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a complete conference schedule and a berth in its title game.
“His behavior has been egregious,” Yormark reiterated. “It’s been egregious going after Jim Phillips, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had circulated about Notre Dame possibly leaving the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. However, Yormark's pointed reprimand on Tuesday seem to make such a move highly improbable in the near term.
Notre Dame, who made the CFP championship game last season, have indicated they will decline a bowl game after missing out this season.
