Big 12 Commissioner Labels Notre Dame Remarks Following CFP Snub as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
During a public statement, Big 12 chief declared that Notre Dame AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for public remarks about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Controversy
The Fighting Irish maintains a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in other sports. The AD has contended that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s bid to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead pushing for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“They does great things for Notre Dame, but we bring tremendous football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would go out of your way to try to hurt us in this process,” the athletic director stated.
Miami eventually earned the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, primarily due to securing the direct meeting between the two schools. Bevacqua further alleged that the ACC ran a coordinated social media effort over multiple weeks indicating its support for Miami.
An Egregious Response
Later on Tuesday, Yormark spoke about the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his behavior has been unacceptable,” the commissioner said. “He is completely out of bounds in his tactics and if he was in the room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
The response is particularly striking given Bevacqua’s prominent position. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the interests of independent Notre Dame.
Past Context and Future Moves
The commissioner also remarked the assistance the ACC gave Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a full conference schedule and a berth in its title game.
“His behavior has been egregious,” Yormark reiterated. “It’s been egregious criticizing Jim Phillips, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had circulated about Notre Dame possibly leaving the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's strong reprimand on Tuesday appear to make such a scenario highly improbable in the immediate future.
The Irish, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have indicated they are declining a bowl game after failing to qualify this year.
