Big 12 Chief Calls Notre Dame Comments After CFP Omission as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
During a strong rebuke, Big 12 Conference commissioner asserted that Notre Dame's AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for his comments targeting the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Dispute
Notre Dame maintains a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a full member in other sports. The AD has claimed that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s bid to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead pushing for the selection of the University of Miami.
“The ACC do wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we bring significant 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 procedure,” Bevacqua stated.
Miami eventually secured the CFP spot over Notre Dame, mostly due to winning the head-to-head matchup between the two programs. Notre Dame's AD also claimed that the ACC conducted a targeted social media effort over multiple weeks showing its preference for Miami.
An Egregious Rebuke
Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark addressed the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his conduct has been out of line,” the commissioner said. “He is totally out of bounds in his method and if he was in the same room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
This public response is especially notable given Bevacqua’s special role. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of independent Notre Dame.
Past Context and Future Moves
The commissioner also pointed out the lifeline the ACC gave Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a complete conference schedule and a berth in its title game.
“His behavior has been egregious,” Yormark said again. “It’s been unacceptable criticizing Jim Phillips, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had circulated about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's public comments on Tuesday appear to make such a move less likely in the immediate future.
The Irish, who made the CFP championship game last season, have announced they are declining a bowl game after missing out this season.
