Big 12 Conference Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Remarks After CFP Snub as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
In a strong criticism, Big 12 chief declared that Notre Dame AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for his remarks concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Dispute
The Fighting Irish maintains 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 opportunities to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead pushing for the spot of the University of Miami.
“The ACC does wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we bring significant football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would make an effort to try to hurt us in this selection,” Bevacqua remarked.
The Hurricanes eventually secured the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, mostly due to winning the head-to-head meeting between the two schools. Bevacqua additionally stated that the ACC ran a coordinated social media campaign over multiple weeks demonstrating its preference for Miami.
An Egregious Reaction
Later on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner responded to the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his conduct has been egregious,” Yormark said. “He is completely out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
The criticism is particularly significant given Bevacqua’s unique role. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the interests of football independent Notre Dame.
Historical Support and Speculative Rumors
The commissioner further pointed out the assistance the ACC offered Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, providing the Irish a full ACC schedule and a berth in its championship game.
“It has been egregious,” Yormark reiterated. “It’s been egregious going after the ACC commissioner, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had circulated about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. Yet, Yormark's public reprimand on Tuesday seem to make such a partnership highly improbable in the immediate future.
The Irish, who made the CFP championship game last season, have indicated they plan to decline a bowl game after missing out this season.
