Big 12 Commissioner Labels Notre Dame Comments After CFP Omission as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
At a strong rebuke, Big 12 chief asserted that Notre Dame athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for his remarks about 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 other sports. The AD has contended that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s opportunities to enter the College Football Playoff, instead campaigning for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“They does wonderful 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 ultimately received the CFP spot over Notre Dame, mostly due to winning the head-to-head meeting between the two programs. Bevacqua additionally stated that the ACC conducted a coordinated social media effort over several weeks showing its preference for Miami.
A Strong Response
Later on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner addressed the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his behavior has been out of line,” the commissioner stated. “He is totally out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the same room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
The criticism is particularly significant given Bevacqua’s unique standing. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of independent Notre Dame.
Past Support and Speculative Moves
Yormark also remarked the lifeline the ACC provided Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, providing the Irish a complete ACC schedule and a place in its title game.
“It has been egregious,” Yormark reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable attacking the ACC commissioner, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had circulated about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's pointed reprimand on Tuesday appear to make such a move highly improbable in the immediate future.
Notre Dame, who made the CFP final last season, have stated they plan to decline a bowl game after missing out this season.
