Big 12 Conference Chief Labels Notre Dame Remarks Following CFP Snub as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
At a public statement, Brett Yormark declared that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for public remarks about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Dispute
Notre Dame has a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. Bevacqua has claimed that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s chances to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to campaigning for the spot of the University of Miami.
“They does wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we bring tremendous 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 stated.
The Hurricanes eventually secured the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, largely due to securing the head-to-head contest between the two programs. Notre Dame's AD also claimed that the ACC ran a coordinated social media effort over several weeks showing its support for Miami.
An Egregious Reaction
Later on Tuesday, Yormark addressed the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his behavior has been out of line,” 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 role. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of independent Notre Dame.
Past Support and Speculative Moves
Yormark also remarked the support the ACC offered Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, providing the Irish a complete ACC schedule and a berth in its championship game.
“His behavior has been egregious,” he said again. “It’s been unacceptable criticizing the ACC commissioner, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had circulated about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. Yet, Yormark's pointed comments on Tuesday appear to make such a partnership less likely in the immediate future.
The Irish, who made the CFP final last season, have indicated they are declining a bowl game after failing to qualify this year.
