Big 12 Conference Commissioner Labels Notre Dame Remarks After CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
In a notable rebuke, Big 12 Conference commissioner stated that Notre Dame's AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for his criticisms about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Controversy
The Fighting Irish has a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a full member in other sports. The AD has contended that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s bid to make the College Football Playoff, instead campaigning for the spot of the University of Miami.
“The ACC do wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we provide significant football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would go out of your way to try to damage us in this selection,” Bevacqua remarked.
Miami ultimately earned the CFP spot over Notre Dame, largely due to winning the direct contest between the two teams. Bevacqua further alleged that the ACC conducted a targeted social media campaign over multiple weeks indicating its preference for Miami.
An Egregious Reaction
Later on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner responded to the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his behavior has been out of line,” Yormark stated. “He is totally out of bounds in his tactics and if he was in the same room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
The criticism is particularly striking given Bevacqua’s prominent position. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.
Historical Support and Speculative Rumors
The commissioner further highlighted the assistance the ACC offered Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a complete conference schedule and a berth in its title game.
“It has been egregious,” Yormark said again. “It’s been unacceptable going after the ACC commissioner, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had spread about Notre Dame potentially leaving the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, Yormark's strong reprimand on Tuesday seem to make such a move highly improbable in the immediate future.
Notre Dame, who made the CFP championship game last season, have stated they will decline a bowl game after failing to qualify this year.