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

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

Root of the Dispute

Notre Dame has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in other sports. The AD has contended that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s chances to make the College Football Playoff, instead advocating for the spot of the University of Miami.

“The ACC does wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we bring significant 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 selection,” Bevacqua stated.

Miami eventually received the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, largely due to securing the head-to-head meeting between the two teams. Bevacqua further alleged that the ACC conducted a coordinated social media push over multiple weeks demonstrating its preference for Miami.

A Strong Rebuke

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

“In my view his conduct has been egregious,” 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.”

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

Historical Context and Speculative Moves

The commissioner further pointed out the lifeline the ACC offered Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, providing the Irish a complete ACC schedule and a berth in its championship game.

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

Speculation 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 partnership highly improbable in the near term.

The Irish, who made the CFP final last season, have stated they plan to decline a bowl game after missing out this season.