At a strong rebuke, Big 12 chief declared that Notre Dame AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for his criticisms targeting the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Dispute
The Fighting Irish has a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. The AD has contended that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s opportunities to make the College Football Playoff, instead campaigning for the spot of the University of Miami.
“The ACC do great things for Notre Dame, but we offer substantial football value to the ACC, and we couldn't comprehend why you would go out of your way to try to hurt us in this selection,” the athletic director said.
The Hurricanes ultimately earned the CFP spot over Notre Dame, largely due to securing the direct matchup between the two programs. Notre Dame's AD additionally stated that the ACC ran a coordinated social media effort over several weeks demonstrating its preference for Miami.
An Egregious Reaction
Later on Tuesday, Yormark addressed the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his conduct has been out of line,” Yormark stated. “He is totally out of bounds in his tactics and if he was in the room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
The response is especially striking given Bevacqua’s unique standing. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.
Historical Context and Speculative Rumors
Yormark also highlighted the support the ACC offered Notre Dame during the Covid-affected 2020 season, giving the Irish a full conference schedule and a berth in its championship game.
“His behavior has been egregious,” he reiterated. “It’s been egregious attacking the ACC commissioner, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had spread about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. Yet, the commissioner's public comments on Tuesday seem to make such a scenario highly improbable in the near term.
The Irish, who reached the CFP final last season, have indicated they are declining a bowl game after failing to qualify this season.
