Big 12 Conference Commissioner Labels Notre Dame Comments After CFP Snub as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
At a public rebuke, Big 12 Conference commissioner stated that Notre Dame's AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for recent comments targeting the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Tension
Notre Dame has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. The AD has claimed that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s chances to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead advocating for the spot of the University of Miami.
“The ACC do great things for Notre Dame, but we provide significant football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would make an effort to try to hurt us in this process,” the athletic director remarked.
The Hurricanes eventually secured the CFP berth over Notre Dame, primarily due to securing the head-to-head meeting between the two programs. Notre Dame's AD further alleged that the ACC ran a targeted social media push over multiple weeks indicating its support for Miami.
An Egregious Reaction
Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark addressed the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his actions has been egregious,” the commissioner said. “He is completely out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the same room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
The pushback is especially significant given Bevacqua’s prominent standing. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.
Historical Support and Speculative Rumors
The commissioner further remarked the support the ACC provided Notre Dame during the Covid-affected 2020 season, giving the Irish a complete ACC schedule and a place in its title game.
“His behavior has been egregious,” he said again. “It’s been unacceptable criticizing Jim Phillips, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had spread about Notre Dame potentially leaving the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. Yet, Yormark's public comments on Tuesday seem to make such a move less likely in the near term.
The Irish, who reached the CFP final last season, have announced they are declining a bowl game after failing to qualify this season.
