Big 12 Chief Labels Notre Dame Comments After CFP Omission as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
At a notable rebuke, Big 12 Conference commissioner declared that Notre Dame's AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for his comments concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Dispute
Notre Dame has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a full member in all other sports. The AD has claimed that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s bid to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead campaigning for the selection of the University of Miami.
“They do great things for Notre Dame, but we provide tremendous 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 said.
Miami ultimately earned the CFP berth over Notre Dame, mostly due to securing the head-to-head meeting between the two programs. Bevacqua also claimed that the ACC conducted a coordinated social media campaign over multiple weeks indicating its support for Miami.
A Strong Reaction
Later on Tuesday, Yormark addressed the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his conduct has been out of line,” the commissioner said. “He is totally out of bounds in his tactics and if he was in the same room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
This public response is particularly striking given Bevacqua’s prominent role. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.
Past Support and Future Moves
Yormark further remarked the support the ACC offered Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a complete ACC schedule and a place in its championship game.
“His behavior has been unacceptable,” Yormark reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable going after the ACC commissioner, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had spread about Notre Dame potentially leaving the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's public comments on Tuesday appear to make such a partnership less likely in the immediate future.
The Irish, who made the CFP final last season, have stated they are declining a postseason invitation after missing out this year.
