Big 12 Chief Calls Notre Dame Remarks Following CFP Snub as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
At a public statement, Big 12 Conference commissioner asserted that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for his remarks about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Dispute
The Fighting Irish has a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a full member in all other sports. Bevacqua has claimed that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s chances to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to advocating for the selection of the University of Miami.
“The ACC do great things for Notre Dame, but we bring tremendous football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would go out of your way to try to damage us in this selection,” Bevacqua remarked.
Miami ultimately secured the CFP spot over Notre Dame, mostly due to winning the direct matchup between the two programs. Notre Dame's AD also claimed that the ACC conducted a targeted social media campaign over several weeks showing its preference for Miami.
A Strong Response
Subsequently on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner responded to the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his conduct has been out of line,” Yormark commented. “He is totally out of bounds in his tactics and if he was in the room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
This public response is particularly significant given Bevacqua’s special role. 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 Context and Speculative Moves
Yormark also remarked the assistance the ACC provided Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, providing the Irish a complete conference schedule and a berth in its championship game.
“His behavior has been egregious,” he reiterated. “It’s been egregious criticizing Jim Phillips, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had circulated about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. Yet, Yormark's strong comments on Tuesday appear to make such a move highly improbable in the near term.
Notre Dame, who made the CFP championship game last season, have indicated they plan to decline a postseason invitation after failing to qualify this season.
