Big 12 Chief Labels Notre Dame Comments After CFP Snub as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
During a strong criticism, Brett Yormark declared that Notre Dame's AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for recent criticisms about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Dispute
Notre Dame maintains a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a full member in all other sports. Bevacqua has claimed that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s opportunities to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to campaigning for the spot of the University of Miami.
“The ACC does great things for Notre Dame, but we bring tremendous football value to the ACC, and we couldn't comprehend why you would go out of your way to try to damage us in this procedure,” Bevacqua remarked.
The Hurricanes eventually secured the CFP spot over Notre Dame, mostly due to winning the direct contest between the two teams. Notre Dame's AD also claimed that the ACC engaged in a targeted social media campaign over multiple weeks indicating its support for Miami.
An Egregious Reaction
Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark spoke about the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his actions has been unacceptable,” Yormark stated. “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.”
The criticism is particularly striking given Bevacqua’s special standing. 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 Support and Speculative Moves
Yormark further highlighted the lifeline the ACC gave Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a full ACC schedule and a place in its championship game.
“His behavior has been egregious,” Yormark said again. “It’s been unacceptable criticizing the ACC commissioner, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had circulated about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. Yet, the commissioner's pointed reprimand on Tuesday appear to make such a move highly improbable in the near term.
The Irish, who made the CFP final last season, have announced they plan to decline a postseason invitation after missing out this year.
