Big 12 Conference Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Comments Following CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
During a strong criticism, Big 12 chief asserted that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for recent criticisms targeting the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Dispute
The Fighting Irish has a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a full member in all other sports. Bevacqua has claimed that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s bid to make the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to pushing for the spot of the University of Miami.
“The ACC does wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we bring tremendous football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would make an effort to try to undermine us in this process,” Bevacqua remarked.
The Hurricanes eventually received the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, primarily due to winning the head-to-head meeting between the two teams. Notre Dame's AD also claimed that the ACC ran a coordinated social media campaign over multiple weeks indicating its support for Miami.
A Strong Response
Subsequently on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner responded to the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his conduct has been unacceptable,” Yormark commented. “He is totally out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the same room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
This public pushback is especially striking given Bevacqua’s prominent standing. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.
Past Support and Speculative Moves
The commissioner further remarked the lifeline the ACC offered Notre Dame in the Covid-affected 2020 season, giving the Irish a full conference schedule and a berth in its championship game.
“It has been egregious,” Yormark said again. “It’s been egregious attacking Jim Phillips, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had circulated about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's public reprimand on Tuesday seem to make such a partnership unlikely in the immediate future.
The Irish, who made the CFP championship game last season, have announced they are declining a bowl game after failing to qualify this season.
