Big 12 Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Comments Following CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
At a notable statement, Big 12 Conference commissioner declared that Notre Dame athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for his criticisms concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Dispute
The Fighting Irish maintains a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a full member in other sports. The AD has claimed that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s opportunities to enter the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to advocating for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“The ACC does great things for Notre Dame, but we offer 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 procedure,” the athletic director said.
Miami ultimately earned the CFP berth over Notre Dame, largely due to securing the head-to-head contest between the two programs. Notre Dame's AD also claimed that the ACC conducted a coordinated social media push over several weeks showing its preference for Miami.
An Egregious Reaction
Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark responded to the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his behavior has been out of line,” Yormark said. “He is totally out of bounds in his method and if he was in the same room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
This public pushback is particularly notable given Bevacqua’s unique standing. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the interests of independent Notre Dame.
Past Support and Speculative Moves
The commissioner also remarked the lifeline the ACC provided Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, providing the Irish a full conference schedule and a place in its title game.
“It has been unacceptable,” Yormark said again. “It’s been unacceptable criticizing Jim Phillips, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had spread about Notre Dame possibly leaving the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's public comments on Tuesday appear to make such a partnership highly improbable in the immediate future.
The Irish, who reached the CFP final last season, have indicated they are declining a bowl game after missing out this season.
