Big 12 Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Remarks After CFP Omission as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
At a notable rebuke, Big 12 chief declared that Notre Dame athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for public criticisms targeting the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Dispute
The Fighting Irish maintains a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in other sports. Bevacqua has claimed that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s chances to enter the College Football Playoff, instead advocating for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“They does wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we bring tremendous football value to the ACC, and we couldn't comprehend why you would make an effort to try to damage us in this procedure,” Bevacqua stated.
The Hurricanes eventually received the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, largely due to securing the direct matchup between the two schools. Notre Dame's AD also claimed that the ACC engaged in a coordinated social media campaign over several weeks demonstrating its support for Miami.
An Egregious Rebuke
Subsequently on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner responded to the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his conduct has been out of line,” Yormark commented. “He is completely out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the same room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
The pushback is especially significant given Bevacqua’s unique position. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the interests of independent Notre Dame.
Past Context and Future Rumors
Yormark also pointed out the assistance the ACC provided Notre Dame in the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a complete ACC schedule and a berth in its championship game.
“It has been egregious,” Yormark said again. “It’s been egregious attacking the ACC commissioner, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had spread about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. Yet, the commissioner's strong comments on Tuesday appear to make such a scenario highly improbable in the immediate future.
Notre Dame, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have indicated they plan to decline a bowl game after failing to qualify this year.
