Big 12 Conference Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Remarks Following CFP Snub as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
At a strong rebuke, Big 12 chief declared that Notre Dame's AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for his comments concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Controversy
The Fighting Irish maintains a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a full member in all other sports. The AD has argued that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s opportunities to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead campaigning for the spot of the University of Miami.
“The ACC does great things for Notre Dame, but we bring tremendous football value to the ACC, and we couldn't comprehend why you would go out of your way to try to hurt us in this selection,” Bevacqua stated.
The Hurricanes ultimately secured the CFP berth over Notre Dame, primarily due to winning the direct matchup between the two programs. Bevacqua also claimed that the ACC ran a targeted social media campaign over multiple weeks indicating its support for Miami.
A Strong Reaction
Later on Tuesday, Yormark addressed the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his behavior has been egregious,” the commissioner stated. “He is completely out of bounds in his tactics and if he was in the same room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
The response is particularly significant given Bevacqua’s unique position. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the interests of independent Notre Dame.
Past Support and Speculative Rumors
Yormark further pointed out the lifeline the ACC provided Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a complete conference schedule and a place in its championship game.
“His behavior has been unacceptable,” Yormark reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable criticizing the ACC commissioner, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had circulated about Notre Dame possibly leaving the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, Yormark's strong reprimand on Tuesday seem to make such a move less likely in the immediate future.
Notre Dame, who made the CFP final last season, have announced they will decline a bowl game after failing to qualify this season.
