Big 12 Conference Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Remarks Following CFP Snub as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
In a public statement, Big 12 chief declared that Notre Dame athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for his comments about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Dispute
The Fighting Irish maintains a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. Bevacqua has argued that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s bid to make the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to campaigning for the spot of the University of Miami.
“They does great things for Notre Dame, but we bring tremendous football value to the ACC, and we couldn't comprehend why you would go out of your way to try to damage us in this selection,” Bevacqua stated.
Miami ultimately secured the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, primarily due to winning the head-to-head contest between the two teams. Notre Dame's AD additionally stated that the ACC ran a coordinated social media push over several weeks demonstrating its preference for Miami.
An Egregious Reaction
Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark addressed the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his actions has been unacceptable,” the commissioner 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.”
The criticism is particularly striking given Bevacqua’s unique standing. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the interests of independent Notre Dame.
Past Context and Speculative Rumors
The commissioner further highlighted the lifeline the ACC offered Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, providing the Irish a complete ACC schedule and a berth in its championship game.
“His behavior has been egregious,” Yormark said again. “It’s been unacceptable criticizing the ACC commissioner, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had circulated about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. However, Yormark's strong comments on Tuesday seem to make such a partnership less likely in the near term.
Notre Dame, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have announced they are declining a bowl game after failing to qualify this year.
