Big 12 Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Comments Following CFP Snub as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
In a strong rebuke, Big 12 Conference commissioner declared that Notre Dame AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for his criticisms about 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. The AD has claimed that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s chances to enter the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to advocating for the spot of the University of Miami.
“They do great things for Notre Dame, but we provide tremendous 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 procedure,” the athletic director remarked.
The Hurricanes eventually earned the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, largely due to winning the direct matchup between the two schools. Bevacqua additionally stated that the ACC conducted a coordinated social media push over multiple weeks showing its support for Miami.
A Strong Reaction
Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark spoke about the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his conduct has been out of line,” the commissioner said. “He is completely out of bounds in his tactics and if he was in the same room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
The response is especially notable given Bevacqua’s unique position. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the interests of football independent Notre Dame.
Historical Context and Speculative Moves
The commissioner also pointed out the lifeline the ACC gave Notre Dame during the Covid-affected 2020 season, giving the Irish a full ACC schedule and a place in its championship game.
“It has been unacceptable,” he said again. “It’s been egregious criticizing Jim Phillips, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had circulated about Notre Dame possibly leaving the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. However, Yormark's public comments on Tuesday appear to make such a scenario unlikely in the immediate future.
Notre Dame, who made the CFP final last season, have announced they plan to decline a postseason invitation after failing to qualify this year.
