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

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

Root of the Controversy

The Fighting Irish has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in other sports. Bevacqua has argued that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s bid to enter the College Football Playoff, instead advocating for the inclusion of the University of Miami.

“They does wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we offer tremendous 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,” the athletic director remarked.

Miami eventually received the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, mostly due to winning the head-to-head meeting between the two teams. Bevacqua additionally stated that the ACC engaged in a coordinated social media effort over multiple weeks showing its support for Miami.

A Strong Reaction

Later on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner responded to the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.

“My opinion is that his behavior has been unacceptable,” the commissioner stated. “He is completely out of bounds in his method and if he was in the room, I’d tell him the same thing.”

This public pushback is especially striking given Bevacqua’s unique position. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.

Past Support and Speculative Moves

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

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

Speculation had spread about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. Yet, the commissioner's public comments on Tuesday appear to make such a partnership less likely in the immediate future.

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