Big 12 Conference Chief Calls Notre Dame Comments After CFP Snub as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
At a public statement, Big 12 chief declared that Notre Dame AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for his comments about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Dispute
The Fighting Irish maintains a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. The AD has contended that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s bid to enter the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to campaigning for the spot 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 damage us in this selection,” Bevacqua remarked.
The Hurricanes eventually earned the CFP spot over Notre Dame, largely due to winning the head-to-head contest between the two schools. Notre Dame's AD additionally stated that the ACC ran a coordinated social media effort over several weeks demonstrating its preference for Miami.
A Strong Reaction
Subsequently on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner spoke about the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his actions has been egregious,” Yormark commented. “He is totally out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the same room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
This public pushback is especially significant given Bevacqua’s special standing. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the interests of independent Notre Dame.
Historical Support and Future Rumors
Yormark further pointed out the assistance the ACC offered Notre Dame in the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a complete ACC schedule and a place in its title game.
“It has been unacceptable,” he reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable criticizing the ACC commissioner, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had circulated about Notre Dame potentially leaving the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, Yormark's strong comments on Tuesday appear to make such a partnership highly improbable in the immediate future.
Notre Dame, who reached the CFP final last season, have stated they are declining a postseason invitation after missing out this year.
