Big 12 Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Comments Following CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
In a public rebuke, Big 12 chief declared that Notre Dame AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for his comments about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Dispute
The Fighting Irish maintains a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a full member in other sports. The AD has claimed that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s chances to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to pushing for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“They do wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we offer substantial 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 selection,” Bevacqua remarked.
The Hurricanes ultimately earned the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, primarily due to winning the head-to-head meeting between the two teams. Notre Dame's AD additionally stated that the ACC conducted a coordinated social media campaign over several weeks indicating its support for Miami.
An Egregious Rebuke
Later on Tuesday, Yormark responded to the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his actions has been unacceptable,” Yormark stated. “He is totally out of bounds in his tactics and if he was in the same room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
This public criticism is especially significant given Bevacqua’s unique position. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.
Past Support and Future Rumors
Yormark also remarked the lifeline the ACC offered Notre Dame during the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a full ACC schedule and a place in its title game.
“It has been egregious,” he said again. “It’s been unacceptable going after the ACC commissioner, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had circulated about Notre Dame potentially leaving the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. However, Yormark's public comments on Tuesday seem to make such a partnership highly improbable in the near term.
The Irish, who reached the CFP final last season, have announced they plan to decline a postseason invitation after failing to qualify this season.
