Big 12 Commissioner Labels Notre Dame Remarks Following CFP Omission as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
During a public statement, Big 12 Conference commissioner asserted that Notre Dame AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for recent remarks concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Dispute
Notre Dame maintains a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in other sports. The AD has argued that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s bid to enter the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to advocating for the selection of the University of Miami.
“They do wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we bring substantial football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would make an effort to try to damage us in this procedure,” Bevacqua stated.
The Hurricanes ultimately earned the CFP berth over Notre Dame, mostly due to winning the head-to-head matchup between the two schools. Notre Dame's AD also claimed that the ACC ran a coordinated social media campaign over multiple weeks indicating its preference for Miami.
A Strong Response
Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark responded to the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his actions has been out of line,” Yormark said. “He is completely out of bounds in his method and if he was in the same room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
The criticism is particularly notable given Bevacqua’s special standing. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the concerns of independent Notre Dame.
Historical Support and Future Rumors
The commissioner also remarked the assistance the ACC offered Notre Dame in the Covid-affected 2020 season, giving the Irish a full conference schedule and a place in its championship game.
“His behavior has been egregious,” Yormark reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable criticizing Jim Phillips, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had circulated about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. Yet, the commissioner's public reprimand on Tuesday seem to make such a move less likely in the near term.
The Irish, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have announced they plan to decline a bowl game after missing out this year.
