Big 12 Conference Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Comments After CFP Snub as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
In a notable criticism, Brett Yormark asserted that Notre Dame AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for his remarks about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Dispute
The Fighting Irish has a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a full member in all other sports. The AD has argued that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s bid to make the College Football Playoff, instead pushing for the spot of the University of Miami.
“They does wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we offer substantial football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would go out of your way to try to hurt us in this selection,” Bevacqua stated.
Miami ultimately earned the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, primarily due to winning the head-to-head meeting between the two schools. Bevacqua further alleged that the ACC engaged in a targeted social media push over several weeks showing its support for Miami.
A Strong Reaction
Later on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner addressed the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his behavior has been out of line,” the commissioner commented. “He is completely out of bounds in his tactics and if he was in the same room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
This public pushback is especially significant given Bevacqua’s prominent position. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.
Past Support and Future Rumors
The commissioner also pointed out the assistance the ACC gave Notre Dame during the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a full ACC schedule and a place in its title game.
“It has been unacceptable,” he said again. “It’s been unacceptable going after Jim Phillips, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had circulated 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 immediate future.
Notre Dame, who made the CFP final last season, have announced they are declining a postseason invitation after failing to qualify this season.
