Big 12 Conference Commissioner Labels Notre Dame Comments After CFP Snub as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
In a notable statement, Big 12 chief asserted that Notre Dame athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for recent comments about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Controversy
Notre Dame has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. The AD has argued that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s bid to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to campaigning for the spot of the University of Miami.
“They do great things for Notre Dame, but we provide significant football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would make an effort to try to damage us in this process,” Bevacqua remarked.
Miami ultimately received the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, primarily due to winning the head-to-head matchup between the two schools. Notre Dame's AD also claimed that the ACC conducted a targeted social media effort over several weeks indicating its support for Miami.
An Egregious Reaction
Later on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner spoke about the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his conduct has been out of line,” the commissioner said. “He is totally out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
This public pushback is especially significant given Bevacqua’s special role. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.
Historical Support and Speculative Rumors
The commissioner further remarked the support the ACC offered Notre Dame in the Covid-affected 2020 season, giving the Irish a full conference schedule and a place in its championship game.
“It has been egregious,” Yormark said again. “It’s been egregious attacking the ACC commissioner, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had spread about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's pointed comments on Tuesday seem to make such a partnership less likely in the near term.
Notre Dame, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have stated they plan to decline a bowl game after failing to qualify this season.
