Big 12 Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Comments Following CFP Snub as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
At a public statement, Big 12 chief declared that Notre Dame AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for recent criticisms concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Controversy
Notre Dame has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in other sports. The AD has argued that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s bid to enter the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to pushing for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“They do great things for Notre Dame, but we offer significant football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would make an effort to try to hurt us in this procedure,” the athletic director stated.
Miami eventually received the CFP berth over Notre Dame, primarily due to winning the head-to-head meeting between the two schools. Notre Dame's AD further alleged that the ACC engaged in a coordinated social media push over several weeks demonstrating its support for Miami.
A Strong Rebuke
Subsequently on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner addressed the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his conduct has been egregious,” Yormark said. “He is totally out of bounds in his tactics and if he was in the same room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
This public response is particularly striking given Bevacqua’s special role. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the interests of football independent Notre Dame.
Past Support and Speculative Rumors
The commissioner further highlighted the lifeline the ACC offered Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a complete conference schedule and a place in its championship game.
“It has been egregious,” Yormark said again. “It’s been unacceptable attacking Jim Phillips, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had spread about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. Yet, Yormark's strong reprimand on Tuesday appear to make such a scenario highly improbable in the immediate future.
The Irish, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have announced they plan to decline a postseason invitation after missing out this season.
