Big 12 Chief Calls Notre Dame Remarks After CFP Snub as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
During a strong criticism, Big 12 Conference commissioner stated that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for his criticisms about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Controversy
Notre Dame maintains a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in other sports. Bevacqua has contended that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s chances to make the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to pushing for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“They does wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we offer substantial 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 process,” Bevacqua remarked.
Miami ultimately received the CFP spot over Notre Dame, largely due to securing the head-to-head contest between the two schools. Bevacqua also claimed that the ACC engaged in a targeted social media campaign over several weeks demonstrating its preference for Miami.
A Strong Reaction
Subsequently on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner spoke about the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his conduct has been out of line,” the commissioner commented. “He is completely out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the same room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
This public pushback is particularly striking given Bevacqua’s unique position. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.
Past Support and Future Moves
Yormark also remarked the assistance the ACC offered Notre Dame during the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a full ACC schedule and a place in its championship game.
“It has been egregious,” Yormark said again. “It’s been egregious attacking the ACC commissioner, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had circulated about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's public comments on Tuesday appear to make such a move highly improbable in the immediate future.
Notre Dame, who made the CFP final last season, have stated they plan to decline a postseason invitation after failing to qualify this year.
