Big 12 Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Remarks After CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
In a notable criticism, Big 12 Conference commissioner stated that Notre Dame athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for his criticisms targeting the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Tension
The Fighting Irish has a football scheduling alliance 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.
“They do wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we provide substantial football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would make an effort to try to damage us in this procedure,” the athletic director stated.
The Hurricanes ultimately secured the CFP berth over Notre Dame, mostly due to winning the direct meeting between the two teams. Notre Dame's AD further alleged that the ACC ran a coordinated social media push over multiple weeks showing its support for Miami.
An Egregious Rebuke
Later on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner addressed the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his behavior has been out of line,” the commissioner stated. “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.”
The response is particularly notable given Bevacqua’s special position. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.
Past Context and Future Rumors
Yormark further highlighted the assistance the ACC provided Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a full conference schedule and a place in its title game.
“His behavior has been egregious,” he reiterated. “It’s been egregious going after the ACC commissioner, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had circulated about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, Yormark's pointed reprimand on Tuesday appear to make such a scenario highly improbable in the immediate future.
The Irish, who reached the CFP final last season, have announced they will decline a postseason invitation after missing out this season.
