Big 12 Chief Calls Notre Dame Remarks Following CFP Snub as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
During a strong statement, Big 12 chief declared that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for public comments concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Dispute
The Fighting Irish maintains a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a participating member in other sports. The AD has argued that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s opportunities to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to advocating for the selection of the University of Miami.
“The ACC does great things for Notre Dame, but we bring tremendous 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 selection,” Bevacqua remarked.
The Hurricanes ultimately secured the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, primarily due to winning the direct matchup between the two programs. Bevacqua also claimed that the ACC ran a coordinated social media campaign over multiple weeks demonstrating its preference for Miami.
A Strong Rebuke
Later on Tuesday, Yormark responded to the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his conduct has been egregious,” Yormark commented. “He is completely out of bounds in his method and if he was in the room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
The criticism is particularly striking given Bevacqua’s special role. He sits 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 also pointed out the lifeline the ACC provided Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a full conference schedule and a berth in its title game.
“His behavior has been egregious,” Yormark reiterated. “It’s been egregious going after Jim Phillips, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had circulated about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. However, Yormark's strong reprimand on Tuesday seem to make such a scenario unlikely in the near term.
The Irish, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have announced they are declining a postseason invitation after failing to qualify this season.
