Big 12 Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Comments After CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
During a notable statement, Big 12 chief stated that Notre Dame AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for public criticisms concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Tension
The Fighting Irish has a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. Bevacqua has argued that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s bid to make the College Football Playoff, instead pushing for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“The ACC does great things for Notre Dame, but we provide substantial football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would make an effort to try to undermine us in this procedure,” the athletic director stated.
Miami ultimately received the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, largely due to securing the head-to-head matchup between the two schools. Bevacqua also claimed that the ACC conducted a targeted social media push over several weeks showing its preference for Miami.
An Egregious Reaction
Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark spoke about the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his actions has been unacceptable,” Yormark stated. “He is totally out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
The response is especially significant given Bevacqua’s special role. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.
Historical Context and Future Rumors
The commissioner also remarked the assistance the ACC provided Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a complete conference schedule and a berth in its title game.
“It has been egregious,” Yormark said again. “It’s been egregious going after Jim Phillips, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had circulated about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's pointed comments on Tuesday seem to make such a move unlikely in the near term.
The Irish, who made the CFP championship game last season, have indicated they plan to decline a bowl game after missing out this year.
