Big 12 Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Comments After CFP Snub as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
At a notable rebuke, Brett Yormark asserted that Notre Dame's AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for recent comments about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Controversy
Notre Dame has a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a full member in other sports. Bevacqua has argued that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s chances to enter the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to advocating for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“They do wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we provide significant 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 remarked.
Miami eventually earned the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, primarily due to winning the head-to-head matchup between the two programs. Bevacqua further alleged that the ACC engaged in a targeted social media push over several weeks demonstrating its support for Miami.
An Egregious Reaction
Subsequently on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner spoke about the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his behavior has been out of line,” the commissioner commented. “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 notable given Bevacqua’s prominent standing. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.
Historical Support and Speculative Moves
Yormark further remarked the support the ACC offered Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a full conference schedule and a place in its title game.
“It has been egregious,” he said again. “It’s been egregious attacking Jim Phillips, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had spread about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's pointed reprimand on Tuesday seem to make such a scenario less likely in the near term.
The Irish, who made the CFP final last season, have stated they will decline a bowl game after failing to qualify this season.
