Big 12 Chief Labels Notre Dame Remarks After CFP Snub as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
At a public rebuke, Big 12 chief declared that Notre Dame AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for recent criticisms concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Tension
The Fighting Irish has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a full member in other sports. Bevacqua has argued that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s opportunities to make the College Football Playoff, instead pushing for the spot of the University of Miami.
“The ACC does wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we provide tremendous football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would go out of your way to try to undermine us in this procedure,” Bevacqua remarked.
Miami eventually secured the CFP berth over Notre Dame, mostly due to winning the head-to-head contest between the two teams. Notre Dame's AD also claimed that the ACC engaged in a coordinated social media push over several weeks showing its support for Miami.
An Egregious Response
Later on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner spoke about the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his behavior has been egregious,” Yormark stated. “He is completely out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
The pushback is especially significant given Bevacqua’s special standing. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.
Historical Support and Future Moves
The commissioner also highlighted the lifeline the ACC offered Notre Dame during the Covid-affected 2020 season, giving the Irish a full ACC schedule and a place in its title game.
“It has been unacceptable,” Yormark reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable attacking the ACC commissioner, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had circulated about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's public comments on Tuesday seem to make such a move less likely in the immediate future.
Notre Dame, who made the CFP final last season, have stated they will decline a bowl game after missing out this season.
