Big 12 Commissioner Labels Notre Dame Remarks After CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
During a strong statement, Big 12 chief stated that Notre Dame athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for his comments targeting the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Dispute
Notre Dame maintains a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a full member in all other sports. Bevacqua has claimed that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s chances to make the College Football Playoff, instead campaigning for the selection 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 go out of your way to try to damage us in this process,” Bevacqua remarked.
The Hurricanes ultimately secured the CFP berth over Notre Dame, largely due to securing the head-to-head matchup between the two teams. Bevacqua additionally stated that the ACC conducted a coordinated social media effort over several weeks demonstrating its support for Miami.
An Egregious Rebuke
Later on Tuesday, Yormark spoke about the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his behavior has been egregious,” the commissioner commented. “He is totally out of bounds in his method and if he was in the room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
The response is especially significant given Bevacqua’s unique standing. He serves 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 Moves
The commissioner further remarked the support the ACC offered Notre Dame during the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a full ACC schedule and a place in its title game.
“It has been unacceptable,” Yormark said again. “It’s been unacceptable going after Jim Phillips, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had circulated about Notre Dame potentially leaving the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. However, Yormark's strong reprimand on Tuesday appear to make such a move less likely in the immediate future.
The Irish, who reached the CFP final last season, have indicated they are declining a bowl game after failing to qualify this year.
