Big 12 Commissioner Labels Notre Dame Remarks Following CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
During a strong criticism, Big 12 chief stated that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for his remarks concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Controversy
Notre Dame maintains a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. Bevacqua has contended that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s opportunities to enter the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to campaigning for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“The ACC do great things for Notre Dame, but we offer substantial football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would make an effort to try to hurt us in this procedure,” Bevacqua said.
Miami eventually received the CFP spot over Notre Dame, mostly due to winning the head-to-head matchup between the two programs. Bevacqua also claimed that the ACC conducted a targeted social media effort over multiple weeks showing its preference for Miami.
A Strong Reaction
Subsequently on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner responded to the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his conduct has been egregious,” the commissioner said. “He is totally out of bounds in his tactics and if he was in the room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
The criticism is especially notable given Bevacqua’s unique standing. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the concerns of independent Notre Dame.
Historical Context and Speculative Rumors
The commissioner further highlighted the assistance the ACC provided Notre Dame during the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a full conference schedule and a berth in its title game.
“It has been egregious,” Yormark reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable going after Jim Phillips, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had spread about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. Yet, Yormark's strong comments on Tuesday appear to make such a move highly improbable in the near term.
Notre Dame, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have announced they will decline a bowl game after missing out this season.
