Big 12 Conference Chief Labels Notre Dame Comments Following CFP Snub as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
During a notable statement, Big 12 Conference commissioner asserted that Notre Dame's AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for his remarks targeting the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Dispute
Notre Dame has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a full member in all other sports. Bevacqua has argued that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s opportunities to enter the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to pushing for the spot of the University of Miami.
“They do wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we offer tremendous football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would go out of your way to try to undermine us in this process,” the athletic director stated.
The Hurricanes ultimately earned the CFP spot over Notre Dame, largely due to winning the head-to-head matchup between the two programs. Bevacqua further alleged that the ACC ran a coordinated social media push over multiple weeks demonstrating its support for Miami.
An Egregious Response
Later on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner addressed the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his actions has been unacceptable,” Yormark commented. “He is totally out of bounds in his tactics and if he was in the room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
This public criticism is particularly significant given Bevacqua’s special standing. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.
Past Context and Speculative Moves
Yormark also pointed out the lifeline the ACC provided Notre Dame during the Covid-affected 2020 season, giving the Irish a full conference schedule and a berth in its championship game.
“His behavior has been egregious,” Yormark said again. “It’s been unacceptable going after the ACC commissioner, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had spread about Notre Dame possibly leaving the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's strong reprimand on Tuesday appear to make such a move unlikely in the immediate future.
Notre Dame, who made the CFP championship game last season, have announced they will decline a postseason invitation after missing out this year.
