Big 12 Chief Calls Notre Dame Comments Following CFP Snub as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
During a strong criticism, 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 Controversy
Notre Dame maintains a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. The AD has contended that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s bid to make the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to advocating for the selection of the University of Miami.
“They do 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 hurt us in this procedure,” the athletic director remarked.
The Hurricanes ultimately earned the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, mostly due to winning the head-to-head meeting between the two teams. Bevacqua also claimed that the ACC conducted a targeted social media campaign over several weeks indicating its preference for Miami.
A Strong Rebuke
Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark spoke about the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his behavior has been unacceptable,” Yormark commented. “He is completely out of bounds in his method and if he was in the same room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
This public pushback is particularly notable given Bevacqua’s special role. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the interests of independent Notre Dame.
Historical Support and Speculative Moves
The commissioner also remarked the lifeline the ACC provided Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, providing the Irish a complete conference schedule and a berth in its title game.
“His behavior has been unacceptable,” he said again. “It’s been egregious attacking the ACC commissioner, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had circulated about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's pointed comments on Tuesday appear to make such a scenario unlikely in the immediate future.
Notre Dame, who made the CFP championship game last season, have indicated they plan to decline a postseason invitation after missing out this year.
