Big 12 Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Comments After CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
At a strong criticism, Big 12 Conference commissioner asserted that Notre Dame's AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for recent remarks concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Controversy
The Fighting Irish maintains a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in other sports. The AD has claimed that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s opportunities to make the College Football Playoff, instead advocating for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“The ACC 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 hurt us in this procedure,” Bevacqua stated.
The Hurricanes ultimately secured the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, primarily due to securing the head-to-head contest between the two programs. Bevacqua additionally stated that the ACC conducted a coordinated social media push over several weeks showing its preference for Miami.
A Strong Rebuke
Subsequently on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner responded to the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his behavior has been out of line,” Yormark commented. “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.”
This public response is especially notable given Bevacqua’s unique position. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the interests of football independent Notre Dame.
Historical Support and Future Moves
Yormark further pointed out the assistance the ACC gave Notre Dame in the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a complete conference schedule and a place in its title game.
“His behavior has been unacceptable,” Yormark reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable attacking Jim Phillips, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had spread about Notre Dame possibly leaving the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's strong reprimand on Tuesday appear to make such a scenario less likely in the immediate future.
Notre Dame, who made the CFP final last season, have stated they are declining a bowl game after missing out this year.
