Big 12 Conference Chief Labels Notre Dame Comments After CFP Snub as ‘Totally 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).
Root of the Tension
The Fighting Irish has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a full member in all other sports. Bevacqua has argued that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s opportunities to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to advocating for the spot of the University of Miami.
“They does wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we provide significant football value to the ACC, and we couldn't comprehend why you would go out of your way to try to hurt us in this selection,” Bevacqua stated.
The Hurricanes ultimately earned the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, primarily due to winning the direct meeting between the two programs. Notre Dame's AD also claimed that the ACC ran a coordinated social media campaign over several weeks indicating its preference for Miami.
An Egregious Rebuke
Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark addressed the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his behavior has been unacceptable,” the commissioner stated. “He is totally out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
The pushback is especially striking given Bevacqua’s prominent role. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.
Past Context and Future Rumors
Yormark further remarked the lifeline the ACC provided Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a complete conference schedule and a place in its championship game.
“It has been unacceptable,” he said again. “It’s been unacceptable criticizing the ACC commissioner, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had circulated about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. Yet, the commissioner's pointed reprimand on Tuesday seem to make such a scenario highly improbable in the immediate future.
The Irish, who reached the CFP final last season, have stated they will decline a postseason invitation after missing out this season.
