Big 12 Chief Calls Notre Dame Comments After CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
During a notable statement, Brett Yormark stated that Notre Dame athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for recent remarks about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Controversy
Notre Dame has a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. Bevacqua has argued that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s chances to make the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to pushing for the selection of the University of Miami.
“The ACC do wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we bring significant football value to the ACC, and we couldn't comprehend why you would make an effort to try to hurt us in this procedure,” the athletic director stated.
The Hurricanes eventually secured the CFP berth over Notre Dame, primarily due to securing the direct contest between the two schools. Bevacqua additionally stated that the ACC ran a targeted social media campaign over multiple weeks showing its preference for Miami.
An Egregious Reaction
Later 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 unacceptable,” the commissioner commented. “He is completely out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
The pushback is especially notable given Bevacqua’s special role. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the interests of football independent Notre Dame.
Historical Support and Future Rumors
The commissioner also remarked the lifeline the ACC gave Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a complete conference schedule and a berth in its title game.
“It has been egregious,” he said again. “It’s been unacceptable criticizing the ACC commissioner, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had circulated about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's strong comments on Tuesday appear to make such a move highly improbable in the near term.
Notre Dame, who reached the CFP final last season, have announced they will decline a bowl game after missing out this season.