Big 12 Chief Labels Notre Dame Remarks After CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
At a notable rebuke, Big 12 Conference commissioner declared that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for his comments about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Dispute
Notre Dame maintains a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a full member in all other sports. The AD has claimed that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s chances to make the College Football Playoff, instead pushing for the spot of the University of Miami.
“The ACC do great 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 hurt us in this process,” Bevacqua remarked.
The Hurricanes ultimately received the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, mostly due to winning the head-to-head contest between the two teams. Bevacqua additionally stated that the ACC engaged in a targeted social media push over several weeks showing its support for Miami.
An Egregious Rebuke
Later on Tuesday, Yormark addressed the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his actions has been unacceptable,” the commissioner said. “He is completely out of bounds in his method and if he was in the same room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
The response is particularly striking given Bevacqua’s unique standing. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the interests of independent Notre Dame.
Past Context and Future Moves
Yormark further remarked the lifeline the ACC offered Notre Dame in the Covid-affected 2020 season, giving the Irish a full conference schedule and a berth in its title game.
“It has been egregious,” Yormark said again. “It’s been egregious attacking Jim Phillips, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had circulated about Notre Dame potentially leaving the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's pointed reprimand on Tuesday seem to make such a partnership unlikely in the immediate future.
The Irish, who reached the CFP final last season, have indicated they plan to decline a bowl game after failing to qualify this year.
