Big 12 Conference Chief Calls Notre Dame Comments After CFP Omission as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
At a notable statement, Brett Yormark declared that Notre Dame AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for his criticisms about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Dispute
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 hurt Notre Dame’s opportunities to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead advocating for the selection of the University of Miami.
“The ACC does wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we provide significant football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would make an effort to try to undermine us in this procedure,” Bevacqua remarked.
The Hurricanes eventually secured the CFP spot over Notre Dame, primarily due to securing the head-to-head contest between the two programs. Bevacqua further alleged that the ACC ran a coordinated social media effort over multiple weeks indicating its preference for Miami.
A Strong Response
Subsequently on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner responded to the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his actions has been egregious,” Yormark commented. “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 criticism is especially striking given Bevacqua’s unique position. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.
Historical Context and Future Moves
The commissioner also highlighted the lifeline the ACC provided Notre Dame during the Covid-affected 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 egregious criticizing the ACC commissioner, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had spread about Notre Dame possibly leaving the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. Yet, the commissioner's strong comments on Tuesday seem to make such a scenario unlikely in the near term.
Notre Dame, who made the CFP championship game last season, have indicated they plan to decline a postseason invitation after missing out this year.
