Big 12 Conference Commissioner Labels Notre Dame Remarks After CFP Omission as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
In a notable criticism, Big 12 Conference commissioner stated that Notre Dame athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for public remarks about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Tension
Notre Dame has a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a participating member in other sports. Bevacqua has claimed that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s opportunities to make the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to campaigning for the selection of the University of Miami.
“They does wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we offer tremendous football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would go out of your way to try to damage us in this process,” the athletic director said.
Miami eventually secured the CFP berth over Notre Dame, largely due to winning the direct meeting between the two programs. Bevacqua further alleged that the ACC engaged in a coordinated social media effort over several weeks demonstrating its support for Miami.
An Egregious Response
Later on Tuesday, Yormark spoke about the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his conduct has been egregious,” the commissioner said. “He is completely out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
This public response is especially notable given Bevacqua’s special standing. He sits 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 Moves
The commissioner further remarked the support the ACC offered Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, providing the Irish a full conference schedule and a place in its championship game.
“His behavior has been unacceptable,” he said again. “It’s been egregious criticizing the ACC commissioner, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had spread about Notre Dame possibly leaving the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's pointed comments on Tuesday appear to make such a move unlikely in the near term.
Notre Dame, who reached the CFP final last season, have stated they are declining a postseason invitation after failing to qualify this year.
