Big 12 Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Comments After CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
At a notable rebuke, Big 12 chief stated that Notre Dame AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for recent comments concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Dispute
The Fighting Irish has a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a participating member in other sports. The AD has argued that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s opportunities to enter the College Football Playoff, instead advocating for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“They does great things for Notre Dame, but we offer tremendous football value to the ACC, and we couldn't comprehend why you would make an effort to try to hurt us in this process,” the athletic director stated.
Miami eventually earned the CFP berth over Notre Dame, primarily due to securing the head-to-head meeting between the two programs. Bevacqua additionally stated that the ACC ran a coordinated social media effort over several weeks demonstrating its support for Miami.
An Egregious Rebuke
Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark spoke about the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his conduct has been unacceptable,” the commissioner said. “He is totally out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
The pushback is particularly significant given Bevacqua’s special position. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.
Past Context and Speculative Moves
The commissioner further highlighted the lifeline the ACC provided Notre Dame during the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a full conference schedule and a place in its championship game.
“His behavior has been unacceptable,” Yormark said again. “It’s been egregious criticizing the ACC commissioner, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had spread about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. Yet, the commissioner's strong comments on Tuesday seem to make such a partnership less likely in the immediate future.
The Irish, who made the CFP championship game last season, have announced they are declining a bowl game after failing to qualify this year.
