Big 12 Commissioner Labels Notre Dame Comments After CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’

During a strong criticism, Brett Yormark declared that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for public criticisms about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

The Source of the Tension

The Fighting Irish maintains a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in other sports. Bevacqua has claimed that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s opportunities to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead pushing for the selection of the University of Miami.

“The ACC does great things for Notre Dame, but we provide substantial football value to the ACC, and we couldn't comprehend why you would make an effort to try to hurt us in this selection,” the athletic director stated.

Miami ultimately earned the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, primarily due to securing the head-to-head matchup between the two schools. Bevacqua further alleged that the ACC engaged in a targeted social media effort over several weeks indicating its preference for Miami.

An Egregious Response

Later on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner responded to the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.

“I think his conduct has been egregious,” the commissioner commented. “He is completely out of bounds in his method and if he was in the same room, I’d tell him the same thing.”

The pushback is particularly significant given Bevacqua’s prominent standing. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the interests of independent Notre Dame.

Historical Support and Future Rumors

Yormark further pointed out the lifeline the ACC provided Notre Dame in the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a full ACC schedule and a berth in its title game.

“It has been unacceptable,” Yormark reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable attacking Jim Phillips, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”

Speculation had circulated about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's strong 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 stated they are declining a postseason invitation after missing out this season.