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

In a notable rebuke, Brett Yormark declared that Notre Dame athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for public remarks 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 other sports. The AD has argued that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s chances to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to campaigning for the selection of the University of Miami.

“They do great things for Notre Dame, but we provide 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 process,” Bevacqua remarked.

Miami eventually earned the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, largely due to winning the head-to-head contest between the two schools. Notre Dame's AD additionally stated that the ACC engaged in a coordinated social media campaign over several weeks indicating its preference for Miami.

A Strong Response

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

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

The pushback is particularly significant given Bevacqua’s prominent position. He serves 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

The commissioner also highlighted the support the ACC gave Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, providing the Irish a complete ACC schedule and a place in its championship game.

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

Speculation had spread about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. Yet, Yormark's strong reprimand on Tuesday seem to make such a scenario unlikely in the near term.

Notre Dame, who made the CFP final last season, have indicated they plan to decline a bowl game after missing out this year.