During a public rebuke, Big 12 chief stated that Notre Dame's AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for his criticisms targeting the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Controversy
The Fighting Irish has a football scheduling alliance 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 qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to campaigning for the selection of the University of Miami.
“The ACC does great things for Notre Dame, but we bring significant football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would make an effort to try to damage us in this selection,” the athletic director stated.
Miami ultimately secured the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, mostly due to winning the direct meeting between the two schools. Notre Dame's AD additionally stated that the ACC engaged in a coordinated social media push over several weeks showing its support for Miami.
An Egregious Reaction
Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark addressed the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his conduct has been out of line,” Yormark commented. “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 criticism is especially significant given Bevacqua’s prominent standing. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the interests of football independent Notre Dame.
Historical Support and Future Rumors
The commissioner further remarked the support the ACC offered Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a complete conference schedule and a berth in its title game.
“It has been unacceptable,” he reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable criticizing the ACC commissioner, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had spread about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's pointed reprimand on Tuesday appear to make such a scenario unlikely in the near term.
Notre Dame, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have announced they will decline a bowl game after failing to qualify this season.
