Big 12 Chief Labels Notre Dame Comments Following CFP Snub as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
During a strong criticism, Brett Yormark asserted that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for public comments targeting the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Tension
The Fighting Irish maintains a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a full member in other sports. The AD has contended that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s bid to enter the College Football Playoff, instead advocating for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“The ACC does great things for Notre Dame, but we offer significant football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would go out of your way to try to damage us in this procedure,” the athletic director stated.
The Hurricanes eventually secured the CFP berth over Notre Dame, largely due to securing the head-to-head meeting between the two teams. Bevacqua additionally stated that the ACC ran a coordinated social media campaign over multiple weeks indicating its preference for Miami.
An Egregious Rebuke
Later on Tuesday, Yormark responded to the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his behavior has been unacceptable,” the commissioner said. “He is completely out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the same room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
The response is especially notable given Bevacqua’s prominent position. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the interests of football independent Notre Dame.
Historical Support and Future Rumors
The commissioner also remarked the support the ACC offered Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, providing the Irish a full ACC schedule and a berth in its title game.
“It has been egregious,” Yormark said again. “It’s been egregious attacking Jim Phillips, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had circulated about Notre Dame possibly leaving the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. Yet, Yormark's strong comments on Tuesday appear to make such a move unlikely in the near term.
The Irish, who made the CFP championship game last season, have indicated they plan to decline a bowl game after missing out this year.
