Big 12 Conference Chief Labels Notre Dame Remarks After CFP Snub as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
During a notable statement, Brett Yormark stated that Notre Dame's AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for his comments concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Controversy
The Fighting Irish has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a full member in other sports. Bevacqua has claimed that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s bid to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to pushing for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“They does great things for Notre Dame, but we provide 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 procedure,” Bevacqua stated.
The Hurricanes eventually received the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, largely due to winning the direct matchup between the two teams. Notre Dame's AD also claimed that the ACC ran a coordinated social media push over multiple weeks demonstrating its preference for Miami.
An Egregious Reaction
Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark spoke about the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his behavior has been egregious,” the commissioner stated. “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 particularly notable given Bevacqua’s prominent position. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the concerns of independent Notre Dame.
Historical Support and Speculative Moves
Yormark further remarked the support the ACC provided Notre Dame in 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 unacceptable attacking Jim Phillips, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had spread about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. Yet, Yormark's pointed comments on Tuesday seem to make such a partnership less likely in the immediate future.
Notre Dame, who made the CFP final last season, have indicated they plan to decline a postseason invitation after missing out this year.
