Big 12 Conference Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Comments Following CFP Snub as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
At a public statement, Big 12 Conference commissioner declared that Notre Dame's AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for recent remarks about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Controversy
The Fighting Irish has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a full member in all other sports. The AD has contended that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s opportunities to make the College Football Playoff, instead pushing for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“The ACC does great things for Notre Dame, but we offer tremendous football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would make an effort to try to hurt us in this process,” Bevacqua said.
The Hurricanes eventually received the CFP berth over Notre Dame, mostly due to winning the direct contest between the two programs. Bevacqua further alleged that the ACC conducted a targeted social media effort over several weeks demonstrating its preference for Miami.
An Egregious Rebuke
Later on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner addressed the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his actions has been egregious,” Yormark 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 position. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the interests of football independent Notre Dame.
Past Context and Future Moves
The commissioner further remarked the lifeline the ACC offered Notre Dame during the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a complete ACC schedule and a place in its championship game.
“His behavior has been egregious,” he reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable criticizing Jim Phillips, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had circulated about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. Yet, the commissioner's public reprimand on Tuesday appear to make such a scenario less likely in the near term.
Notre Dame, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have indicated they will decline a postseason invitation after failing to qualify this year.
