Big 12 Chief Labels Notre Dame Remarks Following CFP Omission as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
In a public criticism, Big 12 chief asserted that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for his remarks about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Tension
Notre Dame has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a full member in all other sports. The AD has argued that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s bid to enter the College Football Playoff, instead campaigning for the selection of the University of Miami.
“They do wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we bring substantial football value to the ACC, and we couldn't comprehend why you would go out of your way to try to hurt us in this selection,” Bevacqua stated.
The Hurricanes ultimately received the CFP spot over Notre Dame, largely due to winning the head-to-head contest between the two programs. Bevacqua also claimed that the ACC conducted a coordinated social media push over several weeks indicating its support for Miami.
A Strong Rebuke
Later on Tuesday, Yormark addressed the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his actions has been egregious,” Yormark stated. “He is totally out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
The response is particularly significant given Bevacqua’s special role. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the interests of football independent Notre Dame.
Historical Support and Future Moves
The commissioner further highlighted the support the ACC provided Notre Dame in the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a complete ACC schedule and a berth in its title game.
“It has been unacceptable,” he said again. “It’s been unacceptable going after the ACC commissioner, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had circulated about Notre Dame potentially leaving the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's public reprimand on Tuesday appear to make such a scenario less likely in the immediate future.
Notre Dame, who made the CFP final last season, have announced they are declining a postseason invitation after missing out this season.
