Big 12 Conference Chief Labels Notre Dame Comments After CFP Snub as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
At a strong criticism, Big 12 chief declared that Notre Dame AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for public comments about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Tension
Notre Dame maintains a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. Bevacqua has argued that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s opportunities to make the College Football Playoff, instead pushing for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“The ACC do wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we offer significant football value to the ACC, and we couldn't comprehend why you would make an effort to try to undermine us in this selection,” Bevacqua stated.
Miami eventually secured the CFP spot over Notre Dame, mostly due to winning the head-to-head contest between the two teams. Bevacqua further alleged that the ACC ran a coordinated social media push over several weeks showing its preference for Miami.
A Strong Response
Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark spoke about the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his conduct has been out of line,” Yormark stated. “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 standing. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the interests of football independent Notre Dame.
Historical Support and Future Moves
The commissioner further highlighted the assistance the ACC gave Notre Dame during the Covid-affected 2020 season, giving the Irish a complete conference schedule and a berth in its championship game.
“It has been unacceptable,” he reiterated. “It’s been egregious going after the ACC commissioner, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had spread 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 scenario less likely in the near term.
The Irish, who reached the CFP final last season, have indicated they will decline a bowl game after missing out this season.