Big 12 Conference Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Remarks After CFP Snub as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
At a notable statement, Big 12 chief declared that Notre Dame's AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for his remarks about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Dispute
The Fighting Irish has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in other sports. The AD has contended that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s opportunities to make the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to pushing for the selection 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 make an effort to try to damage us in this procedure,” Bevacqua said.
Miami eventually earned the CFP berth over Notre Dame, primarily due to securing the head-to-head contest between the two programs. Bevacqua also claimed that the ACC ran a targeted social media effort over multiple weeks demonstrating its support for Miami.
A Strong Reaction
Later on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner spoke about the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his behavior has been unacceptable,” Yormark stated. “He is totally out of bounds in his method and if he was in the room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
This public response is particularly significant given Bevacqua’s special position. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the interests of football independent Notre Dame.
Past Support and Future Rumors
Yormark also remarked the lifeline the ACC provided Notre Dame in the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a full ACC schedule and a berth in its title game.
“It has been unacceptable,” Yormark reiterated. “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, Yormark's strong reprimand on Tuesday seem to make such a partnership highly improbable in the immediate future.
The Irish, who reached the CFP final last season, have indicated they plan to decline a bowl game after missing out this year.
