Big 12 Commissioner Labels Notre Dame Comments After CFP Omission as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
At a notable criticism, Big 12 Conference commissioner stated that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for public criticisms about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Controversy
The Fighting Irish has a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a participating member in other sports. The AD has argued that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s bid to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to pushing for the spot of the University of Miami.
“They does great things for Notre Dame, but we bring substantial football value to the ACC, and we couldn't comprehend why you would make an effort to try to hurt us in this process,” the athletic director remarked.
Miami eventually received the CFP berth over Notre Dame, largely due to securing the head-to-head meeting between the two programs. Notre Dame's AD also claimed that the ACC conducted a coordinated social media campaign over multiple weeks demonstrating its preference for Miami.
A Strong Rebuke
Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark addressed the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his behavior has been egregious,” Yormark stated. “He is totally out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
The pushback is particularly notable given Bevacqua’s prominent position. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of independent Notre Dame.
Historical Support and Future Moves
Yormark further highlighted the assistance the ACC offered Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a complete ACC schedule and a berth in its title game.
“His behavior has been egregious,” he said again. “It’s been egregious criticizing Jim Phillips, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had circulated about Notre Dame potentially leaving the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. Yet, the commissioner's strong comments on Tuesday seem to make such a scenario less likely in the immediate future.
Notre Dame, who reached the CFP final last season, have indicated they will decline a bowl game after failing to qualify this year.
