Big 12 Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Comments After CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
At a public rebuke, Big 12 chief stated that Notre Dame's AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for his criticisms targeting the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Tension
The Fighting Irish maintains a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a full member in all other sports. Bevacqua has argued that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s bid to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to pushing for the selection of the University of Miami.
“The ACC do great things for Notre Dame, but we provide substantial 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.
The Hurricanes eventually earned the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, largely due to winning the direct meeting between the two teams. Bevacqua further alleged that the ACC engaged in a targeted social media campaign over several weeks showing its support for Miami.
A Strong Response
Later on Tuesday, Yormark responded to the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his conduct has been unacceptable,” Yormark said. “He is completely out of bounds in his method and if he was in the room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
This public response is particularly striking given Bevacqua’s special position. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the interests of football independent Notre Dame.
Historical Context and Speculative Moves
Yormark also pointed out the assistance the ACC provided Notre Dame during the Covid-affected 2020 season, giving the Irish a complete conference schedule and a berth in its championship game.
“It has been egregious,” he reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable going after Jim Phillips, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had spread about Notre Dame possibly leaving the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, Yormark's strong comments on Tuesday seem to make such a move highly improbable in the immediate future.
Notre Dame, who reached the CFP final last season, have indicated they will decline a bowl game after missing out this year.
