Big 12 Commissioner Labels Notre Dame Remarks Following CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’

In a notable criticism, Brett Yormark asserted that Notre Dame's AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for his criticisms targeting the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

Root of the Tension

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

“The ACC does wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we provide substantial football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would make an effort to try to undermine us in this selection,” Bevacqua stated.

Miami ultimately earned the CFP spot over Notre Dame, mostly due to securing the head-to-head meeting between the two programs. Notre Dame's AD additionally stated that the ACC conducted a coordinated social media campaign over multiple weeks showing its support for Miami.

A Strong Reaction

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

“In my view his actions has been out of line,” Yormark stated. “He is completely out of bounds in his tactics and if he was in the room, I’d say to him the same thing.”

The criticism is particularly notable given Bevacqua’s special standing. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of independent Notre Dame.

Past Support and Speculative Rumors

The commissioner also highlighted the lifeline the ACC offered Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, providing the Irish a complete conference schedule and a place in its title game.

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

Rumors had spread about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's public reprimand on Tuesday seem to make such a move highly improbable in the near term.

Notre Dame, who made the CFP final last season, have indicated they are declining a postseason invitation after missing out this season.