Big 12 Conference Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Remarks Following CFP Snub as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
At a notable criticism, Big 12 Conference commissioner asserted that Notre Dame athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for recent criticisms concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Dispute
Notre Dame has a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. The AD has claimed that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s bid to make the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to campaigning for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“They does great things for Notre Dame, but we bring significant 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 process,” Bevacqua remarked.
Miami ultimately earned the CFP berth over Notre Dame, primarily due to securing the head-to-head matchup between the two teams. Bevacqua also claimed that the ACC engaged in a coordinated social media campaign over several weeks indicating its support for Miami.
An Egregious Response
Subsequently on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner addressed the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his actions 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.”
The response is particularly striking given Bevacqua’s prominent position. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the interests of football independent Notre Dame.
Historical Support and Speculative Moves
Yormark also highlighted the lifeline the ACC gave Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a full conference schedule and a place in its championship game.
“It has been unacceptable,” he said again. “It’s been egregious attacking the ACC commissioner, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had spread about Notre Dame potentially leaving the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. Yet, the commissioner's public comments on Tuesday seem to make such a move unlikely in the immediate future.
The Irish, who made the CFP championship game last season, have stated they are declining a bowl game after failing to qualify this year.
