Big 12 Chief Calls Notre Dame Comments Following CFP Snub as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
At a strong rebuke, Big 12 Conference commissioner declared that Notre Dame's AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for recent comments about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Dispute
The Fighting Irish maintains a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a full member in other sports. Bevacqua has claimed that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s chances to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to campaigning for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“The ACC 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 hurt us in this process,” the athletic director stated.
The Hurricanes ultimately secured the CFP spot over Notre Dame, largely due to securing the direct meeting between the two teams. Bevacqua also claimed that the ACC engaged in a targeted social media campaign over multiple weeks demonstrating 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 actions has been unacceptable,” the commissioner said. “He is totally out of bounds in his tactics and if he was in the room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
The response is particularly striking given Bevacqua’s unique standing. 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 Speculative Moves
The commissioner also remarked the assistance the ACC gave Notre Dame during the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a full ACC schedule and a place in its title game.
“It has been egregious,” Yormark reiterated. “It’s been egregious attacking the ACC commissioner, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had circulated about Notre Dame possibly leaving the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. Yet, the commissioner's public reprimand on Tuesday appear to make such a partnership highly improbable in the near term.
The Irish, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have announced they plan to decline a postseason invitation after missing out this year.
