Big 12 Commissioner Labels Notre Dame Comments Following CFP Omission as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
At a public rebuke, Big 12 Conference commissioner stated that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for public comments targeting the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Tension
The Fighting Irish maintains a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a full member in all other sports. Bevacqua has argued that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s chances to enter the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to pushing for the spot of the University of Miami.
“The ACC does wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we offer significant football value to the ACC, and we couldn't comprehend why you would go out of your way to try to undermine us in this process,” Bevacqua stated.
Miami eventually received the CFP berth over Notre Dame, largely due to securing the head-to-head matchup between the two schools. Notre Dame's AD additionally stated that the ACC conducted a coordinated social media push over several weeks showing its support for Miami.
A Strong Response
Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark responded to the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his behavior has been out of line,” Yormark commented. “He is completely out of bounds in his method and if he was in the room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
The pushback is particularly notable given Bevacqua’s prominent role. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the interests of independent Notre Dame.
Historical Support and Speculative Rumors
Yormark further remarked the assistance the ACC provided Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, providing the Irish a complete conference schedule and a place in its championship game.
“His behavior has been egregious,” Yormark said again. “It’s been egregious criticizing the ACC commissioner, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had circulated about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. Yet, the commissioner's pointed comments on Tuesday appear to make such a scenario highly improbable in the near term.
Notre Dame, who reached the CFP final last season, have stated they plan to decline a postseason invitation after failing to qualify this season.
