Big 12 Conference Commissioner Labels Notre Dame Comments After CFP Snub as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
At a public statement, Big 12 Conference commissioner 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 Tension
Notre Dame maintains a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. The AD has contended that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s bid to enter the College Football Playoff, instead pushing for the selection of the University of Miami.
“They do great things for Notre Dame, but we offer 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 procedure,” Bevacqua remarked.
The Hurricanes ultimately secured the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, largely due to winning the direct meeting between the two schools. Notre Dame's AD also claimed that the ACC ran a coordinated social media push over several weeks showing its support for Miami.
An Egregious Reaction
Later on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner addressed the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his actions has been unacceptable,” 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 response is particularly significant given Bevacqua’s special position. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the interests of independent Notre Dame.
Past Context and Speculative Moves
Yormark also highlighted the support the ACC provided Notre Dame in the Covid-affected 2020 season, giving the Irish a full ACC schedule and a berth in its title game.
“His behavior has been unacceptable,” Yormark said again. “It’s been unacceptable going after Jim Phillips, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had spread about Notre Dame potentially leaving the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. However, Yormark's public reprimand on Tuesday appear to make such a partnership highly improbable in the near term.
The Irish, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have stated they plan to decline a postseason invitation after missing out this year.
