Big 12 Conference Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Remarks After CFP Omission as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
During a strong rebuke, Brett Yormark declared that Notre Dame's AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for his remarks targeting the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Dispute
The Fighting Irish maintains a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a participating member in other sports. The AD has contended that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s bid to make the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to campaigning for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“They does wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we offer substantial 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,” the athletic director said.
The Hurricanes eventually received the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, primarily due to securing the direct contest between the two schools. Notre Dame's AD additionally stated that the ACC conducted a coordinated social media push over multiple weeks demonstrating its support for Miami.
A Strong Rebuke
Later on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner addressed the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his conduct has been out of line,” Yormark stated. “He is totally out of bounds in his tactics and if he was in the room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
This public pushback is especially striking given Bevacqua’s unique role. 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 Speculative Moves
Yormark further pointed out the lifeline the ACC provided Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a full ACC schedule and a berth in its title game.
“It has been unacceptable,” he reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable attacking the ACC commissioner, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had spread about Notre Dame potentially leaving the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, Yormark's pointed comments on Tuesday appear to make such a partnership highly improbable in the near term.
Notre Dame, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have announced they plan to decline a postseason invitation after failing to qualify this year.
