Big 12 Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Comments Following CFP Snub as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
At a notable statement, Big 12 chief asserted that Notre Dame athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for public 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 other sports. The AD has claimed that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s opportunities to make the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to campaigning for the spot of the University of Miami.
“The ACC does wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we bring significant football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would make an effort to try to undermine us in this process,” the athletic director stated.
The Hurricanes ultimately earned the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, mostly due to securing the direct contest between the two programs. Bevacqua further alleged that the ACC engaged in a coordinated social media campaign over several weeks indicating its preference for Miami.
A Strong Rebuke
Subsequently on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner spoke about the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his behavior has been egregious,” the commissioner commented. “He is totally out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
The pushback is particularly significant given Bevacqua’s prominent role. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.
Historical Context and Speculative Moves
Yormark further highlighted the assistance the ACC provided Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a complete ACC schedule and a place in its title game.
“It has been unacceptable,” Yormark reiterated. “It’s been egregious criticizing Jim Phillips, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had spread about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, Yormark's strong comments on Tuesday seem to make such a partnership less likely in the near term.
Notre Dame, who reached the CFP final last season, have indicated they will decline a bowl game after failing to qualify this season.
