Big 12 Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Remarks After CFP Snub as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
In a notable rebuke, Big 12 Conference commissioner asserted that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for his remarks about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Tension
The Fighting Irish maintains a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. Bevacqua has claimed that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s opportunities to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to advocating for the spot of the University of Miami.
“The ACC do great things for Notre Dame, but we offer significant football value to the ACC, and we couldn't comprehend why you would go out of your way to try to undermine us in this process,” Bevacqua stated.
Miami ultimately received the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, primarily due to securing the head-to-head matchup between the two schools. Notre Dame's AD additionally stated that the ACC conducted a coordinated social media campaign over multiple weeks indicating its support for Miami.
A Strong Reaction
Later on Tuesday, Yormark responded to the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his behavior has been out of line,” the commissioner stated. “He is totally out of bounds in his method and if he was in the same room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
The pushback is especially striking given Bevacqua’s prominent standing. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of independent Notre Dame.
Past Support and Future Rumors
The commissioner also pointed out the support the ACC offered Notre Dame in the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a full conference schedule and a berth in its title game.
“His behavior has been unacceptable,” Yormark reiterated. “It’s been egregious criticizing the ACC commissioner, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had spread about Notre Dame potentially leaving the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. Yet, the commissioner's strong comments on Tuesday seem to make such a scenario highly improbable in the near term.
Notre Dame, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have indicated they will decline a bowl game after missing out this season.
