Big 12 Conference Commissioner Labels Notre Dame Remarks After CFP Snub as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
During a public statement, Big 12 chief declared that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for recent comments concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Dispute
Notre Dame has a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a participating member in other sports. The AD has argued that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s opportunities to enter the College Football Playoff, instead pushing for the spot of the University of Miami.
“The ACC do wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we offer substantial 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,” the athletic director said.
Miami eventually secured the CFP berth over Notre Dame, largely due to securing the head-to-head contest between the two programs. Notre Dame's AD additionally stated that the ACC conducted a coordinated social media push over multiple weeks showing its preference for Miami.
A Strong Reaction
Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark addressed the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his actions has been unacceptable,” the commissioner said. “He is totally out of bounds in his tactics and if he was in the same room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
The pushback is particularly notable given Bevacqua’s special position. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.
Past Context and Speculative Moves
Yormark also pointed out the support the ACC offered Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a complete ACC schedule and a berth in its championship game.
“His behavior has been egregious,” Yormark said again. “It’s been egregious going after the ACC commissioner, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had circulated about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. However, Yormark's pointed comments on Tuesday appear to make such a partnership highly improbable in the immediate future.
Notre Dame, who reached the CFP final last season, have stated they plan to decline a bowl game after missing out this year.