Big 12 Chief Calls Notre Dame Comments After CFP Snub as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
During a strong statement, Brett Yormark asserted that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for his criticisms about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Controversy
The Fighting Irish has a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a full member in all other sports. The AD has claimed that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s bid to make the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to pushing for the selection of the University of Miami.
“They do great things for Notre Dame, but we bring significant football value to the ACC, and we couldn't comprehend why you would go out of your way to try to undermine us in this selection,” Bevacqua remarked.
The Hurricanes ultimately earned the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, mostly due to winning the head-to-head matchup between the two teams. Notre Dame's AD also claimed that the ACC conducted a coordinated social media push over multiple weeks indicating its support for Miami.
An Egregious Response
Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark spoke about the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his conduct has been unacceptable,” Yormark said. “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 particularly striking given Bevacqua’s special role. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of independent Notre Dame.
Past Context and Speculative Rumors
The commissioner further pointed out the lifeline the ACC gave Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a complete conference schedule and a place in its championship game.
“It has been egregious,” Yormark reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable attacking Jim Phillips, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had spread about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. However, Yormark's pointed comments on Tuesday appear to make such a partnership less likely in the near term.
Notre Dame, who made the CFP championship game last season, have stated they will decline a bowl game after failing to qualify this year.