Big 12 Conference Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Comments Following CFP Snub as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
During a strong rebuke, Big 12 chief asserted that Notre Dame's AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for his comments targeting the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Tension
The Fighting Irish maintains a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a full member in all other sports. Bevacqua has claimed that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s opportunities to make the College Football Playoff, instead advocating for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“The ACC do great things for Notre Dame, but we offer significant football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would make an effort to try to hurt us in this selection,” Bevacqua said.
The Hurricanes eventually received the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, mostly due to securing the head-to-head meeting between the two schools. Notre Dame's AD further alleged that the ACC engaged in a coordinated social media effort over multiple weeks demonstrating its preference for Miami.
An Egregious Response
Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark spoke about the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his behavior has been egregious,” the commissioner said. “He is completely out of bounds in his method and if he was in the room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
This public response is especially striking given Bevacqua’s unique position. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the interests of independent Notre Dame.
Past Context and Speculative Rumors
The commissioner also pointed out the support the ACC provided Notre Dame during the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a full ACC schedule and a berth in its title game.
“His behavior has been egregious,” he reiterated. “It’s been egregious attacking the ACC commissioner, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had circulated about Notre Dame potentially leaving the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. Yet, Yormark's strong reprimand on Tuesday appear to make such a scenario unlikely in the near term.
The Irish, who made the CFP final last season, have indicated they are declining a bowl game after failing to qualify this season.
