Big 12 Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Comments After CFP Omission as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
In a notable statement, Big 12 chief asserted that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for his remarks targeting the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Controversy
The Fighting Irish has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in other sports. The AD has contended that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s bid to make the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to campaigning for the selection of the University of Miami.
“They does great things for Notre Dame, but we offer substantial football value to the ACC, and we couldn't comprehend why you would go out of your way to try to damage us in this process,” the athletic director stated.
Miami eventually earned the CFP berth over Notre Dame, largely due to winning the direct contest between the two teams. Notre Dame's AD also claimed that the ACC engaged in a coordinated social media campaign over several weeks indicating its support for Miami.
An Egregious Reaction
Later on Tuesday, Yormark addressed the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his actions has been egregious,” Yormark stated. “He is completely out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
This public criticism is especially notable given Bevacqua’s prominent role. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.
Past Support and Speculative Rumors
The commissioner further remarked the support the ACC offered Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a full conference schedule and a berth in its championship game.
“It has been unacceptable,” he said again. “It’s been egregious criticizing the ACC commissioner, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had spread about Notre Dame potentially leaving the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's strong reprimand on Tuesday seem to make such a partnership highly improbable in the near term.
Notre Dame, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have announced they will decline a postseason invitation after missing out this year.
