Big 12 Chief Labels Notre Dame Comments Following CFP Snub as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
At a public statement, Brett Yormark stated that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for public criticisms about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Dispute
Notre Dame has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a full member in other sports. Bevacqua has contended that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s opportunities to enter the College Football Playoff, instead advocating for the selection of the University of Miami.
“The ACC do great things for Notre Dame, but we bring substantial football value to the ACC, and we couldn't comprehend why you would make an effort to try to damage us in this procedure,” Bevacqua said.
The Hurricanes ultimately earned the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, mostly due to securing the head-to-head meeting between the two programs. Notre Dame's AD additionally stated that the ACC engaged in a targeted social media push over multiple weeks demonstrating its preference for Miami.
An Egregious Reaction
Subsequently on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner spoke about the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his conduct has been egregious,” the commissioner stated. “He is totally out of bounds in his method and if he was in the room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
The pushback is especially striking given Bevacqua’s unique standing. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the interests of independent Notre Dame.
Past Support and Speculative Moves
The commissioner further highlighted the assistance the ACC gave Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a complete ACC schedule and a berth in its title game.
“His behavior has been egregious,” he said again. “It’s been unacceptable criticizing the ACC commissioner, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had spread about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's pointed comments on Tuesday seem to make such a scenario less likely in the immediate future.
Notre Dame, who made the CFP championship game last season, have announced they are declining a bowl game after failing to qualify this season.
