Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark sharply criticized Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua on Tuesday, calling his recent comments about the ACC “egregious” and “out of bounds.” Bevacqua has publicly accused the ACC of favoring Miami over the Fighting Irish after Notre Dame was left out of the College Football Playoff in favor of the Hurricanes, who held a head-to-head win over the Irish.
Speaking at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum, Yormark said he took issue with Bevacqua’s repeated media appearances blaming the conference for Notre Dame’s omission. He added that he would deliver the same message directly to Bevacqua if the two were in the same room. His remarks came in response to Bevacqua’s claims that the ACC promoted Miami more aggressively on social media and within conference programming.
Although Notre Dame competes as an independent in football, nearly all its other varsity sports — along with men’s hockey — operate under the ACC umbrella. The Irish also maintain a long-term scheduling partnership with the league, playing at least five ACC opponents annually since 2014. Bevacqua’s criticism has intensified this week, including comments made earlier Tuesday suggesting the ACC orchestrated a coordinated online campaign to hurt Notre Dame’s CFP candidacy.
ACC commissioner Jim Phillips defended the league’s conduct on Monday, saying the conference remains committed to advocating for all 17 of its football-playing members. Phillips did not address Bevacqua directly but rejected any implication that the ACC manipulated its platforms to favor one program over another.
Yormark also pointed to the ACC’s role in assisting Notre Dame during the 2020 COVID season, when the Irish temporarily joined the league for a full 10-game schedule. Notre Dame went undefeated in conference play before losing to Clemson in the ACC title game, yet still made the four-team playoff field. Yormark suggested Notre Dame’s “egregious” response overlooked the support it received from the ACC during that unusual year.
The Big 12 commissioner added that his own conference experienced a similar situation this season, noting BYU’s exclusion from the playoff despite an 11-2 record and two losses to No. 4 Texas Tech. Yormark emphasized that CFP chair Hunter Yurachek clearly explained the committee’s decision-making process and that head-to-head results remained a key factor as teams’ résumés converged late in the season.
