Big 12 Commissioner Labels Notre Dame Comments Following CFP Snub as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
During a notable rebuke, Big 12 chief declared that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for recent criticisms targeting the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Controversy
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 chances to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead pushing for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“The ACC do great things for Notre Dame, but we provide tremendous football value to the ACC, and we couldn't comprehend why you would make an effort to try to undermine us in this selection,” the athletic director remarked.
Miami eventually received the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, mostly due to winning the head-to-head meeting between the two schools. Notre Dame's AD additionally stated that the ACC ran a coordinated social media campaign over multiple weeks demonstrating its preference for Miami.
An Egregious Rebuke
Subsequently on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner responded to the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his conduct has been out of line,” the commissioner stated. “He is totally out of bounds in his method and if he was in the same room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
This public criticism is especially notable given Bevacqua’s special role. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.
Past Context and Speculative Moves
The commissioner also pointed out the assistance the ACC offered Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a complete conference schedule and a place in its championship game.
“It has been unacceptable,” Yormark reiterated. “It’s been egregious going after the ACC commissioner, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had spread about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. Yet, Yormark's public reprimand on Tuesday seem to make such a move highly improbable in the immediate future.
Notre Dame, who made the CFP final last season, have announced they will decline a bowl game after missing out this year.
