Big 12 Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Remarks Following CFP Snub as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
At a notable criticism, Big 12 chief declared that Notre Dame athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for recent comments concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Controversy
The Fighting Irish maintains a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a full member in other sports. The AD has contended that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s chances to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to campaigning for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“The ACC does wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we provide substantial football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would make an effort to try to undermine us in this procedure,” the athletic director said.
The Hurricanes eventually received the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, primarily due to winning the head-to-head meeting between the two schools. Bevacqua further alleged that the ACC ran a coordinated social media effort over multiple weeks showing its support for Miami.
An Egregious Response
Subsequently on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner addressed the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his behavior has been unacceptable,” Yormark said. “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 pushback is particularly significant given Bevacqua’s unique standing. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the concerns of independent Notre Dame.
Historical Context and Speculative Moves
Yormark also highlighted the support the ACC gave Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, providing the Irish a complete conference schedule and a place in its title game.
“It has been unacceptable,” Yormark said again. “It’s been unacceptable going after Jim Phillips, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had circulated about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, Yormark's pointed reprimand on Tuesday seem to make such a scenario less likely in the near term.
Notre Dame, who reached the CFP final last season, have stated they are declining a postseason invitation after missing out this season.
