Big 12 Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Remarks After CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
In a public statement, Big 12 Conference commissioner declared that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for recent remarks concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Controversy
Notre Dame has a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a full member in all other sports. The AD has claimed that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s bid to make the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to advocating for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“They do wonderful 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 hurt us in this procedure,” the athletic director stated.
The Hurricanes ultimately secured the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, primarily due to securing the direct contest between the two programs. Bevacqua further alleged that the ACC engaged in a coordinated social media push over several weeks showing its preference for Miami.
An Egregious Response
Later on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner spoke about the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his conduct has been egregious,” Yormark 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 response is particularly striking 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 independent Notre Dame.
Past Support and Future Rumors
Yormark further highlighted the assistance the ACC provided Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, providing the Irish a full ACC schedule and a berth in its title game.
“His behavior has been egregious,” he reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable going after Jim Phillips, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had circulated about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, Yormark's strong reprimand on Tuesday appear to make such a move highly improbable in the near term.
Notre Dame, who made the CFP championship game last season, have announced they plan to decline a bowl game after missing out this year.
