Big 12 Conference Commissioner Labels Notre Dame Comments Following CFP Snub as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’

In a public statement, Brett Yormark stated that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for public comments concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

The Source of the Tension

Notre Dame has a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. Bevacqua has contended that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s chances to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to advocating for the inclusion of the University of Miami.

“They does wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we bring substantial football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would go out of your way to try to damage us in this procedure,” the athletic director stated.

Miami ultimately received the CFP spot over Notre Dame, mostly due to winning the head-to-head matchup between the two schools. Bevacqua additionally stated that the ACC ran a targeted social media effort over several weeks indicating its support for Miami.

A Strong Rebuke

Later on Tuesday, Yormark responded to the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.

“In my view his behavior has been unacceptable,” Yormark said. “He is completely out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the same room, I’d tell him the same thing.”

This public pushback is especially striking given Bevacqua’s prominent standing. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the interests of independent Notre Dame.

Past Context and Speculative Rumors

Yormark further highlighted the lifeline the ACC gave Notre Dame during the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a complete conference schedule and a place in its title game.

“It has been egregious,” he said again. “It’s been egregious going after the ACC commissioner, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”

Speculation had spread about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. Yet, the commissioner's public reprimand on Tuesday seem to make such a scenario less likely in the near term.

The Irish, who reached the CFP final last season, have announced they will decline a postseason invitation after missing out this season.