Big 12 Chief Calls Notre Dame Comments Following CFP Snub as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
At a strong statement, Big 12 chief stated that Notre Dame athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for his criticisms targeting the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Dispute
Notre Dame has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. Bevacqua has contended that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s chances to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead advocating for the selection of the University of Miami.
“They does wonderful 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 process,” Bevacqua remarked.
Miami ultimately earned the CFP berth over Notre Dame, mostly due to securing the head-to-head matchup between the two teams. Bevacqua further alleged that the ACC ran a targeted social media push over several weeks demonstrating its preference for Miami.
An Egregious Response
Later on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner spoke about the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his behavior has been out of line,” Yormark stated. “He is totally out of bounds in his method and if he was in the room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
This public response is especially notable 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.
Past Support and Speculative Rumors
Yormark further remarked the support the ACC offered Notre Dame during the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a full conference schedule and a place in its title game.
“It has been egregious,” he said again. “It’s been egregious criticizing Jim Phillips, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had spread about Notre Dame potentially leaving the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's public comments on Tuesday appear to make such a partnership less likely in the near term.
The Irish, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have announced they will decline a bowl game after failing to qualify this season.
