Big 12 Commissioner Labels Notre Dame Comments After CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
In a notable criticism, Big 12 chief stated that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for recent criticisms concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Tension
Notre Dame maintains a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a full member in all other sports. The AD has argued that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s opportunities to enter the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to campaigning for the spot of the University of Miami.
“The ACC does great things for Notre Dame, but we provide significant football value to the ACC, and we couldn't comprehend why you would go out of your way to try to hurt us in this procedure,” Bevacqua remarked.
The Hurricanes ultimately secured the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, mostly due to winning the direct contest between the two programs. Notre Dame's AD further alleged that the ACC ran a coordinated social media push over multiple weeks demonstrating its preference for Miami.
A Strong Rebuke
Later on Tuesday, Yormark addressed the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his behavior has been egregious,” the commissioner stated. “He is completely out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the same room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
This public pushback is particularly striking given Bevacqua’s special standing. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.
Past Support and Future Rumors
The commissioner also highlighted the support the ACC provided Notre Dame during the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a complete conference schedule and a berth in its title game.
“His behavior has been unacceptable,” Yormark reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable attacking Jim Phillips, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had circulated about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's strong reprimand on Tuesday seem to make such a partnership highly improbable in the near term.
Notre Dame, who made the CFP final last season, have indicated they plan to decline a bowl game after missing out this season.
