Big 12 Chief Labels Notre Dame Comments Following CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
In a notable rebuke, Big 12 Conference commissioner stated that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for his comments about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Dispute
The Fighting Irish maintains a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a full member in all other sports. Bevacqua has claimed that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s opportunities to enter the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to pushing for the spot of the University of Miami.
“They do great things for Notre Dame, but we provide substantial football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would make an effort to try to hurt us in this procedure,” Bevacqua remarked.
The Hurricanes eventually received the CFP spot over Notre Dame, largely due to securing the head-to-head contest between the two schools. Notre Dame's AD further alleged that the ACC engaged in a targeted social media campaign over multiple weeks showing its preference for Miami.
An Egregious Response
Subsequently on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner addressed the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his behavior has been out of line,” Yormark stated. “He is totally 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 striking given Bevacqua’s special standing. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the interests of independent Notre Dame.
Past Support and Future Rumors
Yormark also highlighted the assistance the ACC offered Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a full conference schedule and a berth in its title game.
“It has been unacceptable,” Yormark reiterated. “It’s been egregious criticizing Jim Phillips, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had spread about Notre Dame potentially leaving the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. Yet, the commissioner's strong comments on Tuesday seem to make such a scenario less likely in the near term.
Notre Dame, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have indicated they will decline a bowl game after failing to qualify this year.
