Big 12 Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Remarks Following CFP Snub as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
During a public statement, Big 12 chief stated that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for recent comments targeting the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Dispute
Notre Dame has a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a full member in other sports. Bevacqua has argued that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s bid to make the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to campaigning for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“The ACC does wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we offer tremendous football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would make an effort to try to undermine us in this procedure,” the athletic director stated.
Miami ultimately earned the CFP berth over Notre Dame, largely due to securing the head-to-head matchup between the two schools. Notre Dame's AD further alleged that the ACC conducted a targeted social media effort over several weeks demonstrating its support for Miami.
An Egregious Rebuke
Subsequently on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner spoke about the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his conduct has been out of line,” Yormark commented. “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 especially significant given Bevacqua’s unique role. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the interests of independent Notre Dame.
Past Context and Speculative Moves
Yormark further highlighted the support the ACC gave Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a complete ACC schedule and a berth in its championship game.
“His behavior has been unacceptable,” he reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable criticizing Jim Phillips, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had spread about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. Yet, Yormark's pointed reprimand on Tuesday seem to make such a partnership less likely in the near term.
The Irish, who made the CFP final last season, have announced they plan to decline a postseason invitation after failing to qualify this season.
