Big 12 Conference Chief Calls Notre Dame Remarks After CFP Snub as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’

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

The Source of the Tension

Notre Dame maintains a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. Bevacqua has contended that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s opportunities to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to pushing for the spot of the University of Miami.

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

Miami eventually received the CFP berth over Notre Dame, primarily due to securing the head-to-head matchup between the two programs. Bevacqua further alleged that the ACC ran a coordinated social media effort over multiple weeks indicating its support for Miami.

An Egregious Rebuke

Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark spoke about the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.

“In my view his conduct has been egregious,” the commissioner said. “He is completely out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the same room, I’d say to him the same thing.”

This public 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 football independent Notre Dame.

Past Context and Speculative Moves

The commissioner also remarked the support the ACC gave Notre Dame during the Covid-affected 2020 season, giving the Irish a complete conference schedule and a place in its title game.

“His behavior has been egregious,” he reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable going after the ACC commissioner, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”

Talk had spread about Notre Dame potentially leaving the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's public comments on Tuesday appear to make such a move less likely in the near term.

Notre Dame, who made the CFP championship game last season, have announced they are declining a bowl game after missing out this year.