Big 12 Chief Calls Notre Dame Comments Following CFP Snub as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
During a strong statement, Big 12 Conference commissioner declared that Notre Dame athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for public comments about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Tension
Notre Dame has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. Bevacqua has argued that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s opportunities to enter the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to campaigning for the spot of the University of Miami.
“The ACC do wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we bring tremendous football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would make an effort to try to undermine us in this selection,” Bevacqua remarked.
The Hurricanes ultimately secured the CFP berth over Notre Dame, primarily due to winning the direct contest between the two teams. Notre Dame's AD also claimed that the ACC conducted a targeted social media push over several weeks showing its preference for Miami.
A Strong Reaction
Subsequently on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner responded to the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his actions has been unacceptable,” Yormark said. “He is totally out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the same room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
The criticism is particularly notable given Bevacqua’s special position. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the interests of independent Notre Dame.
Historical Support and Future Moves
Yormark further remarked the support the ACC provided Notre Dame during the Covid-affected 2020 season, giving the Irish a full conference schedule and a berth in its championship game.
“His behavior has been unacceptable,” he reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable going after the ACC commissioner, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had circulated about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's public reprimand on Tuesday appear to make such a scenario less likely in the immediate future.
The Irish, who made the CFP championship game last season, have indicated they plan to decline a bowl game after missing out this season.
