Big 12 Commissioner Labels Notre Dame Comments Following CFP Omission as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
At a strong statement, Brett Yormark declared that Notre Dame's AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for his remarks about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Dispute
Notre Dame has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in other sports. Bevacqua has claimed that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s bid to enter the College Football Playoff, instead advocating for the spot of the University of Miami.
“They does great things for Notre Dame, but we offer tremendous football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would make an effort to try to damage us in this procedure,” Bevacqua stated.
The Hurricanes eventually earned the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, primarily due to winning the head-to-head meeting between the two teams. Notre Dame's AD also claimed that the ACC engaged in a targeted social media campaign over several weeks indicating its support for Miami.
An Egregious Rebuke
Subsequently on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner addressed the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his actions has been out of line,” the commissioner stated. “He is completely out of bounds in his method and if he was in the room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
This public response is particularly significant given Bevacqua’s prominent standing. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the interests of independent Notre Dame.
Historical Context and Future Rumors
The commissioner also remarked the assistance the ACC offered Notre Dame in the Covid-affected 2020 season, giving the Irish a full ACC schedule and a place in its title game.
“His behavior has been egregious,” he reiterated. “It’s been egregious criticizing Jim Phillips, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had circulated about Notre Dame potentially leaving the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. Yet, the commissioner's public reprimand on Tuesday appear to make such a move highly improbable in the near term.
Notre Dame, who made the CFP championship game last season, have announced they will decline a bowl game after missing out this season.
