Big 12 Conference Chief Labels Notre Dame Comments After CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
In a strong statement, Big 12 chief stated that Notre Dame AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for recent comments concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Dispute
Notre Dame has a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a full member in other sports. The AD has argued that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s bid to enter the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to advocating for the spot of the University of Miami.
“The ACC does great 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 selection,” Bevacqua remarked.
The Hurricanes ultimately received the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, primarily due to securing the direct contest between the two schools. Notre Dame's AD further alleged that the ACC engaged in a targeted social media effort over several weeks showing its support for Miami.
An Egregious Response
Later on Tuesday, Yormark spoke about the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his behavior has been out of line,” the commissioner said. “He is totally out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
This public criticism is especially notable given Bevacqua’s special position. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.
Past Context and Speculative Moves
The commissioner further remarked the support the ACC provided Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a complete conference schedule and a berth in its championship game.
“His behavior has been unacceptable,” Yormark reiterated. “It’s been egregious attacking Jim Phillips, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had circulated about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's strong comments on Tuesday appear to make such a scenario unlikely in the near term.
The Irish, who reached the CFP final last season, have announced they will decline a bowl game after missing out this season.
