Big 12 Conference Chief Calls Notre Dame Remarks Following CFP Snub as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
In a public statement, Big 12 chief declared that Notre Dame athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for public remarks concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Controversy
Notre Dame maintains a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in other sports. Bevacqua has argued that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s bid to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead campaigning for the spot of the University of Miami.
“They do wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we bring substantial 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 process,” Bevacqua said.
Miami eventually earned the CFP spot over Notre Dame, primarily due to securing the head-to-head matchup between the two teams. Bevacqua further alleged that the ACC engaged in a targeted social media push over several weeks indicating its support for Miami.
A Strong Reaction
Later on Tuesday, Yormark spoke about the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his conduct has been unacceptable,” the commissioner said. “He is completely out of bounds in his tactics and if he was in the room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
The criticism is particularly notable given Bevacqua’s prominent position. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of independent Notre Dame.
Past Support and Speculative Moves
Yormark also remarked the assistance the ACC offered Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, providing the Irish a complete conference schedule and a place in its championship game.
“It has been egregious,” Yormark reiterated. “It’s been egregious attacking Jim Phillips, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had circulated about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's public reprimand on Tuesday appear to make such a move less likely in the immediate future.
The Irish, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have indicated they are declining a bowl game after missing out this year.
