During a notable statement, Big 12 chief declared that Notre Dame athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for public remarks concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Notre Dame maintains a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a full member in other sports. The AD has claimed that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s opportunities to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead campaigning for the selection of the University of Miami.
“They does great things for Notre Dame, but we offer substantial football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would make an effort to try to damage us in this process,” the athletic director remarked.
Miami ultimately secured the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, primarily due to securing the direct matchup between the two programs. Bevacqua also claimed that the ACC ran a targeted social media effort over several weeks indicating its preference for Miami.
Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark addressed the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his behavior has been out of line,” the commissioner commented. “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 pushback is particularly significant given Bevacqua’s special role. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the interests of football independent Notre Dame.
The commissioner also pointed out the support the ACC gave Notre Dame in the Covid-affected 2020 season, giving the Irish a full ACC schedule and a berth in its title game.
“It has been unacceptable,” he said again. “It’s been egregious going after Jim Phillips, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had circulated about Notre Dame potentially leaving the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, Yormark's pointed comments on Tuesday appear to make such a scenario less likely in the immediate future.
The Irish, who made the CFP championship game last season, have indicated they are declining a postseason invitation after failing to qualify this season.
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