Big 12 Conference Chief Calls Notre Dame Comments Following CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
In a notable statement, Big 12 chief asserted that Notre Dame's AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for his remarks about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Controversy
The Fighting Irish has a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a full member in other sports. Bevacqua has contended that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s chances to make the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to campaigning for the spot of the University of Miami.
“The ACC does wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we bring substantial football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would go out of your way to try to undermine us in this process,” the athletic director said.
Miami ultimately earned the CFP berth over Notre Dame, largely due to winning the direct matchup between the two schools. Bevacqua also claimed that the ACC conducted a targeted social media campaign over multiple weeks demonstrating its preference for Miami.
A Strong Rebuke
Later on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner addressed the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his behavior has been unacceptable,” Yormark commented. “He is completely out of bounds in his method and if he was in the same room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
This public pushback is especially striking given Bevacqua’s unique standing. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.
Historical Support and Future Rumors
Yormark also pointed out the assistance the ACC offered Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a complete conference schedule and a place in its title game.
“His behavior has been egregious,” Yormark reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable criticizing the ACC commissioner, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had spread about Notre Dame potentially leaving the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, Yormark's strong comments on Tuesday seem to make such a move unlikely in the immediate future.
Notre Dame, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have stated they will decline a bowl game after failing to qualify this season.
