Big 12 Conference Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Comments After CFP Snub as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
In a public criticism, Big 12 chief stated that Notre Dame athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for public remarks concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Tension
The Fighting Irish has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in other sports. Bevacqua has contended that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s opportunities to make the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to campaigning for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“The ACC do wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we offer significant 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 procedure,” Bevacqua remarked.
The Hurricanes ultimately received the CFP spot over Notre Dame, mostly due to securing the head-to-head matchup between the two schools. Bevacqua further alleged that the ACC conducted a targeted social media campaign over multiple weeks demonstrating its preference for Miami.
A Strong Rebuke
Later on Tuesday, Yormark responded to the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his conduct has been unacceptable,” Yormark said. “He is completely out of bounds in his method and if he was in the room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
The response is particularly notable given Bevacqua’s prominent position. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.
Historical Context and Future Moves
The commissioner further pointed out the lifeline the ACC gave Notre Dame in 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 said again. “It’s been unacceptable criticizing Jim Phillips, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had spread about Notre Dame possibly leaving the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. Yet, the commissioner's strong reprimand on Tuesday seem to make such a move highly improbable in the immediate future.
The Irish, who reached the CFP final last season, have stated they plan to decline a postseason invitation after failing to qualify this year.
