Big 12 Conference Chief Calls Notre Dame Remarks After CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
At a public criticism, Big 12 chief declared that Notre Dame athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for recent comments concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Dispute
The Fighting Irish maintains 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 make the College Football Playoff, instead campaigning for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“They do wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we provide substantial football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would go out of your way to try to undermine us in this procedure,” Bevacqua stated.
Miami ultimately earned the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, primarily due to winning the head-to-head matchup between the two programs. Notre Dame's AD additionally stated that the ACC conducted a coordinated social media campaign over several weeks indicating its preference for Miami.
An Egregious Reaction
Later on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner addressed the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his conduct has been unacceptable,” the commissioner said. “He is completely out of bounds in his tactics and if he was in the room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
The pushback is particularly significant given Bevacqua’s special standing. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.
Past Context and Future Moves
Yormark also remarked the assistance the ACC gave Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a full conference schedule and a place in its title game.
“His behavior has been egregious,” Yormark reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable going after Jim Phillips, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had circulated about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, Yormark's public comments on Tuesday appear to make such a partnership unlikely in the near term.
The Irish, who made the CFP championship game last season, have stated they will decline a bowl game after missing out this season.