Big 12 Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Comments Following CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
At a public criticism, Brett Yormark stated that Notre Dame AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for recent comments concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Tension
Notre Dame has a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a full member in all other sports. Bevacqua has argued that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s bid to make the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to campaigning for the selection of the University of Miami.
“They do great things for Notre Dame, but we offer significant football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would go out of your way to try to undermine us in this procedure,” the athletic director said.
Miami ultimately received the CFP berth over Notre Dame, mostly due to winning the direct meeting between the two schools. Notre Dame's AD additionally stated that the ACC engaged in a coordinated social media campaign over multiple weeks demonstrating its preference for Miami.
An Egregious Reaction
Subsequently on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner addressed the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his conduct has been out of line,” the commissioner stated. “He is completely out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the same room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
The pushback is particularly significant given Bevacqua’s unique standing. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the concerns of independent Notre Dame.
Past Support and Speculative Rumors
The commissioner also highlighted the support the ACC provided Notre Dame during 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 said again. “It’s been egregious criticizing Jim Phillips, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had spread about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. Yet, Yormark's public comments on Tuesday seem to make such a move highly improbable in the immediate future.
The Irish, who made the CFP championship game last season, have stated they are declining a bowl game after failing to qualify this season.
