Big 12 Conference Chief Calls Notre Dame Comments After CFP Omission as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
During a notable rebuke, Brett Yormark asserted that Notre Dame's AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for his comments targeting the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Controversy
Notre Dame has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. The AD has argued that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s chances to make the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to pushing for the selection 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 make an effort to try to hurt us in this procedure,” Bevacqua said.
The Hurricanes ultimately received the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, mostly due to securing the head-to-head matchup between the two programs. Notre Dame's AD further alleged that the ACC conducted a targeted social media campaign over several weeks demonstrating its preference for Miami.
A Strong Rebuke
Later on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner responded to the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his actions has been egregious,” Yormark said. “He is completely out of bounds in his method and if he was in the same room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
This public criticism is particularly notable given Bevacqua’s unique position. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.
Historical Context and Speculative Rumors
The commissioner further highlighted the lifeline the ACC offered Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving 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 saved Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had circulated about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. Yet, the commissioner's strong reprimand on Tuesday appear to make such a scenario less likely in the immediate future.
Notre Dame, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have stated they plan to decline a postseason invitation after failing to qualify this year.
