Big 12 Conference Chief Labels Notre Dame Comments After CFP Omission as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
At a public rebuke, Brett Yormark asserted that Notre Dame AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for public comments targeting the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Tension
The Fighting Irish has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. Bevacqua has claimed that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s bid 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 offer tremendous football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would go out of your way to try to undermine us in this selection,” the athletic director said.
Miami eventually received the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, largely due to winning the direct matchup between the two programs. Bevacqua also claimed that the ACC ran a targeted social media campaign over several weeks showing its support for Miami.
An Egregious Response
Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark spoke about the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his conduct 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.”
This public response is especially striking given Bevacqua’s special position. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the interests of independent Notre Dame.
Historical Support and Future Moves
Yormark also pointed out the lifeline the ACC provided Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a full ACC schedule and a berth in its title game.
“His behavior has been unacceptable,” he said again. “It’s been unacceptable attacking Jim Phillips, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had spread about Notre Dame potentially leaving the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. However, Yormark's strong comments on Tuesday seem to make such a move less likely in the near term.
The Irish, who made the CFP final last season, have indicated they will decline a postseason invitation after missing out this year.
