Big 12 Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Comments Following CFP Omission as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
At a strong statement, Big 12 Conference commissioner asserted that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for public comments targeting the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Dispute
The Fighting Irish has a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a participating member in other sports. The AD has claimed that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s chances to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to pushing for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“The ACC does wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we offer tremendous football value to the ACC, and we couldn't comprehend why you would go out of your way to try to undermine us in this process,” Bevacqua stated.
The Hurricanes ultimately received the CFP spot over Notre Dame, primarily due to securing the head-to-head matchup between the two teams. Notre Dame's AD further alleged that the ACC conducted a coordinated social media effort over several weeks indicating its support for Miami.
An Egregious Reaction
Later on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner responded to the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his actions has been unacceptable,” Yormark commented. “He is completely out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the same room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
The response is especially striking given Bevacqua’s unique role. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the concerns of independent Notre Dame.
Historical Support and Future Rumors
The commissioner further highlighted the assistance the ACC offered Notre Dame in the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a full conference schedule and a place in its title game.
“His behavior has been egregious,” he said again. “It’s been unacceptable attacking Jim Phillips, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had spread about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. Yet, Yormark's strong comments on Tuesday seem to make such a move less likely in the near term.
Notre Dame, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have indicated they are declining a bowl game after failing to qualify this season.
