Big 12 Chief Labels Notre Dame Comments Following CFP Snub as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
At a strong rebuke, Big 12 chief stated that Notre Dame AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for recent comments about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Tension
The Fighting Irish has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a full member in all other sports. The AD has contended that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s bid to enter the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to advocating for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“They do wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we offer substantial football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would go out of your way to try to undermine us in this process,” Bevacqua said.
The Hurricanes eventually received the CFP spot over Notre Dame, primarily due to winning the head-to-head meeting between the two teams. Notre Dame's AD further alleged that the ACC conducted a targeted social media effort over several weeks indicating its preference for Miami.
A Strong Rebuke
Subsequently on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner spoke about the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his actions has been out of line,” Yormark stated. “He is completely out of bounds in his tactics and if he was in the same room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
The criticism is especially notable given Bevacqua’s unique position. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the concerns of independent Notre Dame.
Historical Support and Speculative Rumors
The commissioner also remarked the assistance the ACC provided Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a full ACC schedule and a place in its championship game.
“His behavior has been egregious,” he said again. “It’s been egregious criticizing 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. Yet, Yormark's pointed reprimand on Tuesday appear to make such a scenario less likely in the immediate future.
Notre Dame, who made the CFP championship game last season, have stated they plan to decline a postseason invitation after failing to qualify this year.
