Big 12 Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Comments Following CFP Omission as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
In a public statement, Big 12 Conference commissioner asserted that Notre Dame AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for his criticisms concerning 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 all other sports. The AD has contended that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s chances to enter the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to pushing for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“They does great things for Notre Dame, but we provide significant football value to the ACC, and we couldn't comprehend why you would make an effort to try to undermine us in this process,” Bevacqua said.
Miami ultimately received the CFP spot over Notre Dame, primarily due to securing the head-to-head contest between the two schools. Notre Dame's AD further alleged that the ACC ran a coordinated social media campaign over several weeks demonstrating its support for Miami.
An Egregious Response
Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark spoke about the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his behavior has been unacceptable,” the commissioner stated. “He is totally out of bounds in his tactics and if he was in the same room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
This public pushback is particularly notable given Bevacqua’s prominent role. 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 Future Moves
The commissioner also remarked the support the ACC provided Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a complete conference schedule and a berth in its championship game.
“His behavior has been egregious,” he said again. “It’s been unacceptable criticizing the ACC commissioner, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had circulated about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's pointed reprimand on Tuesday seem to make such a move less likely in the near term.
The Irish, who reached the CFP final last season, have stated they are declining a bowl game after missing out this year.
