Big 12 Conference Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Comments After CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
In a notable statement, Big 12 chief stated that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for recent remarks about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Dispute
Notre Dame has a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. Bevacqua has claimed that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s bid to make the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to campaigning for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“They does great things for Notre Dame, but we offer significant football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would make an effort to try to damage us in this selection,” the athletic director said.
The Hurricanes ultimately secured the CFP spot over Notre Dame, primarily due to winning the direct meeting between the two schools. Notre Dame's AD additionally stated that the ACC ran a targeted social media campaign over several weeks indicating its preference for Miami.
An Egregious Response
Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark addressed the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his behavior has been out of line,” Yormark stated. “He is completely out of bounds in his tactics and if he was in the room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
This public pushback is particularly significant given Bevacqua’s special standing. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the interests of football independent Notre Dame.
Historical Support and Speculative Rumors
The commissioner further highlighted the assistance the ACC gave Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a full ACC schedule and a place in its title game.
“It has been egregious,” he reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable going after the ACC commissioner, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had spread about Notre Dame potentially leaving the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's pointed reprimand on Tuesday seem to make such a move highly improbable in the near term.
The Irish, who reached the CFP final last season, have stated they will decline a bowl game after missing out this season.
