Big 12 Conference Chief Calls Notre Dame Comments After CFP Snub as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
At a notable rebuke, Big 12 Conference commissioner declared that Notre Dame AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for his remarks targeting the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Controversy
The Fighting Irish has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. Bevacqua has claimed that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s bid to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to pushing 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 hurt us in this selection,” the athletic director stated.
Miami eventually received the CFP berth over Notre Dame, mostly due to securing the head-to-head meeting between the two schools. Bevacqua also claimed that the ACC engaged in a coordinated social media push over multiple weeks indicating its preference for Miami.
A Strong Reaction
Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark addressed the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his conduct has been out of line,” Yormark commented. “He is totally out of bounds in his method and if he was in the same room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
The response is particularly notable given Bevacqua’s unique position. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of independent Notre Dame.
Past Support and Speculative Moves
Yormark further remarked the lifeline the ACC gave Notre Dame during the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a full conference schedule and a berth in its title game.
“It has been unacceptable,” he reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable going after Jim Phillips, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had spread about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's pointed reprimand on Tuesday appear to make such a scenario highly improbable in the near term.
The Irish, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have announced they are declining a bowl game after missing out this season.
