Big 12 Commissioner Labels Notre Dame Comments After CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
At a public statement, Big 12 Conference commissioner stated that Notre Dame AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for recent comments about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Tension
The Fighting Irish maintains a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a participating member in other sports. Bevacqua has argued that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s chances to enter the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to campaigning for the spot of the University of Miami.
“They does wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we provide substantial 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 procedure,” the athletic director said.
Miami eventually earned the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, mostly due to winning the head-to-head matchup between the two teams. Bevacqua also claimed that the ACC ran a targeted social media push over several weeks indicating its support for Miami.
A Strong Reaction
Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark responded to the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his conduct has been unacceptable,” Yormark commented. “He is totally out of bounds in his method and if he was in the room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
The pushback is especially significant given Bevacqua’s prominent position. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the interests of football independent Notre Dame.
Past Context and Future Moves
Yormark further highlighted the lifeline the ACC gave Notre Dame during the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a complete ACC schedule and a berth in its title game.
“It has been unacceptable,” Yormark said again. “It’s been egregious attacking the ACC commissioner, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had circulated about Notre Dame possibly leaving the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, Yormark's strong reprimand on Tuesday seem to make such a move unlikely in the immediate future.
Notre Dame, who made the CFP final last season, have stated they are declining a postseason invitation after failing to qualify this year.
