Notre Dame’s recent struggles after their exclusion from the College Football Playoff could have far-reaching consequences.
After athletic director Pete Bevacqua’s drastic actions within the ACC, the Fighting Irish were left out of the 12-team playoff, which instead allowed Miami to take the last at-large position. There seems to be a lot of tension bubbling beneath the surface, as suggested by reports.
Yahoo Sports notes that Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark’s strong response reflects sentiments from those involved in the CFP committee discussions. His comments are, in a way, indicative of larger, long-standing frustrations.
Yormark challenged Bevacqua’s remarks from Monday when he expressed dissatisfaction with the ACC, stating, “I wouldn’t be honest if I didn’t say they definitely did permanent damage to the relationship between the conference and Notre Dame.”
In response, Yormark labeled Bevacqua’s stance as “beyond common sense,” suggesting he would say the same in a face-to-face discussion.
“Honestly, I’m not fond of Notre Dame’s reaction,” Yormark asserted. “I think his reactions were quite damaging. It’s clear that [ACC commissioner] Jim Phillips assisted Notre Dame immensely during the COVID-19 crisis. This was known—there was transparency regarding the head-to-head factors that influenced decisions among teams like Notre Dame and Miami.” Miami’s close victory, for example, played a significant role in the playoff selection process.
Though Notre Dame remains an independent football program, they’ve established scheduling agreements with the ACC and responded to their playoff snub by agreeing to a new system. According to Bevacqua, a memorandum signed last spring guarantees Notre Dame a playoff spot if they rank in the top 12 next year.
2025 College Football Playoff Opening Day:
Round 1
- Dec. 19, 8 p.m. ET, No. 9 Alabama vs. No. 8 Oklahoma
- Dec. 20, 12:00 p.m. ET, No. 10 Miami vs. No. 7 Texas A&M
- Dec. 20, 3:30 p.m. ET, No. 11 Tulane vs. No. 6 Ole Miss
- No. 12 James Madison at No. 5 Oregon, Dec. 20 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Quarterfinals
- No. 10 Miami/No. 7 Texas A&M vs. No. 2 Ohio State, Dec. 31, 7:30 p.m. ET
- No. 12 James Madison/No. 5 Oregon State vs. No. 4 Texas Tech, Jan. 1, 12:00 p.m. ET
- No. 9 Alabama/No. 8 Oklahoma vs. No. 1 Indiana, Jan. 1, 4 p.m. ET
- No. 11 Tulane/No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 3 Georgia, Jan. 1, 8 p.m. ET
Reports indicate that athletic directors from top schools are “threatening to freeze future schedules” in light of these developments. Yet, given the high stakes surrounding Notre Dame, it remains uncertain how far this situation will escalate.
After finishing the season with ten consecutive wins, early losses to Miami and Texas A&M unfortunately dashed Notre Dame’s playoff dreams. As it stands, these two teams will face off in the CFP, with Miami visiting Texas A&M on December 20.
