Big 12 Commissioner Labels Notre Dame Remarks After CFP Snub as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
At a notable rebuke, Brett Yormark stated that Notre Dame's AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for public comments concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Controversy
The Fighting Irish maintains a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a full member in all other sports. The AD has contended that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s chances to make the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to pushing for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“The ACC does wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we provide 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 process,” Bevacqua remarked.
The Hurricanes eventually secured the CFP berth over Notre Dame, largely due to winning the head-to-head contest between the two teams. Notre Dame's AD also claimed that the ACC engaged in a coordinated social media effort over multiple weeks demonstrating its support for Miami.
An Egregious Reaction
Subsequently on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner addressed the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his behavior has been egregious,” the commissioner stated. “He is totally 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 striking given Bevacqua’s prominent position. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the interests of football independent Notre Dame.
Past Context and Future Moves
Yormark also remarked the assistance the ACC offered Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, providing the Irish a full conference schedule and a place in its championship game.
“His behavior has been unacceptable,” Yormark reiterated. “It’s been egregious criticizing Jim Phillips, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had circulated about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's pointed comments on Tuesday appear to make such a partnership highly improbable in the immediate future.
Notre Dame, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have stated they plan to decline a bowl game after failing to qualify this year.
