Big 12 Conference Chief Labels Notre Dame Comments After CFP Omission as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’

During a strong criticism, Brett Yormark asserted that Notre Dame athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for recent criticisms targeting the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

The Source of the Controversy

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

“The ACC do great things for Notre Dame, but we bring significant football value to the ACC, and we couldn't comprehend why you would make an effort to try to hurt us in this process,” Bevacqua said.

The Hurricanes ultimately secured the CFP berth over Notre Dame, largely 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 preference for Miami.

A Strong Rebuke

Subsequently on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner spoke about the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.

“In my view his behavior has been out of line,” the commissioner said. “He is totally out of bounds in his tactics and if he was in the room, I’d tell him the same thing.”

This public pushback is especially notable given Bevacqua’s special standing. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the interests of independent Notre Dame.

Past Support and Future Moves

Yormark further highlighted the support the ACC offered Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a complete ACC schedule and a berth in its championship game.

“His behavior has been unacceptable,” Yormark reiterated. “It’s been egregious attacking the ACC commissioner, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...”

Speculation had spread about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, Yormark's public reprimand on Tuesday appear to make such a move less likely in the immediate future.

The Irish, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have announced they will decline a bowl game after missing out this season.