Big 12 Conference Chief Calls Notre Dame Comments After CFP Omission as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
During a public statement, Big 12 Conference commissioner asserted that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for public criticisms 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. The AD has argued that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s chances to make the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to pushing for the spot of the University of Miami.
“They do great things for Notre Dame, but we bring substantial football value to the ACC, and we couldn't comprehend why you would make an effort to try to hurt us in this selection,” the athletic director remarked.
Miami ultimately earned the CFP berth over Notre Dame, largely due to winning the head-to-head meeting between the two teams. Notre Dame's AD further alleged that the ACC conducted a coordinated social media push over multiple weeks indicating its support for Miami.
An Egregious Reaction
Subsequently on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner addressed the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his actions has been unacceptable,” the commissioner commented. “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 pushback is especially striking given Bevacqua’s special standing. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the interests of football independent Notre Dame.
Past Support and Future Moves
Yormark also pointed out the lifeline the ACC provided Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a complete ACC schedule and a berth in its title game.
“His behavior has been unacceptable,” he reiterated. “It’s been egregious criticizing Jim Phillips, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had spread about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's pointed comments 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 stated they plan to decline a postseason invitation after failing to qualify this year.
