Big 12 Chief Labels Notre Dame Comments After CFP Omission as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
During a strong rebuke, Big 12 Conference commissioner asserted that Notre Dame AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for recent criticisms concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Tension
Notre Dame maintains a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. The AD has contended that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s chances to make the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to pushing for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“The ACC 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 hurt us in this procedure,” Bevacqua remarked.
Miami eventually earned the CFP spot over Notre Dame, largely due to winning the direct matchup between the two programs. Notre Dame's AD further alleged that the ACC conducted a coordinated social media campaign over several weeks indicating its preference for Miami.
An Egregious Reaction
Subsequently on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner responded to the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his conduct has been egregious,” Yormark said. “He is totally out of bounds in his method and if he was in the room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
This public criticism is particularly striking given Bevacqua’s unique standing. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of independent Notre Dame.
Past Support and Future Moves
The commissioner also highlighted the assistance the ACC gave Notre Dame in the Covid-affected 2020 season, giving the Irish a complete ACC schedule and a place in its championship game.
“It has been egregious,” he said again. “It’s been unacceptable criticizing the ACC commissioner, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had circulated about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's strong comments on Tuesday seem to make such a scenario less likely in the immediate future.
The Irish, who reached the CFP final last season, have indicated they will decline a bowl game after failing to qualify this year.
