Big 12 Conference Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Remarks Following CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
At a public statement, Big 12 chief declared that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for his comments concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Dispute
The Fighting Irish has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in other sports. Bevacqua has contended that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s chances to enter the College Football Playoff, instead campaigning for the spot 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 process,” Bevacqua stated.
Miami ultimately earned the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, mostly due to winning the head-to-head matchup between the two teams. Bevacqua also claimed that the ACC engaged in a targeted social media push over multiple weeks indicating its support for Miami.
A Strong Rebuke
Subsequently on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner responded to the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his conduct has been unacceptable,” Yormark said. “He is completely out of bounds in his method and if he was in the room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
The response is particularly striking given Bevacqua’s unique standing. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.
Historical Context and Future Moves
Yormark also pointed out the support the ACC provided Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, providing the Irish a complete conference schedule and a berth in its championship game.
“His behavior has been egregious,” Yormark reiterated. “It’s been egregious attacking the ACC commissioner, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had spread about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. Yet, Yormark's strong comments on Tuesday appear to make such a partnership highly improbable in the immediate future.
Notre Dame, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have indicated they are declining a postseason invitation after missing out this year.
