Big 12 Chief Calls Notre Dame Comments After CFP Snub as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
At a strong rebuke, Big 12 chief stated that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for his criticisms targeting the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Tension
The Fighting Irish has a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a full member in other sports. The AD has contended that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s bid to make the College Football Playoff, instead advocating for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“The ACC does great things for Notre Dame, but we provide significant football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would make an effort to try to undermine us in this process,” Bevacqua stated.
The Hurricanes eventually earned the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, primarily due to winning the head-to-head matchup between the two teams. Bevacqua further alleged that the ACC conducted a targeted social media effort over several weeks showing its preference for Miami.
An Egregious Rebuke
Subsequently on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner addressed the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his behavior has been egregious,” the commissioner said. “He is totally out of bounds in his method and if he was in the room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
This public criticism is particularly striking given Bevacqua’s special standing. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the concerns of independent Notre Dame.
Past Support and Future Moves
Yormark further highlighted the assistance the ACC provided Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, providing the Irish a full ACC schedule and a berth in its title game.
“It has been egregious,” he said again. “It’s been unacceptable attacking the ACC commissioner, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had spread about Notre Dame possibly leaving the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. Yet, the commissioner's pointed comments on Tuesday appear to make such a scenario highly improbable in the near term.
Notre Dame, who reached the CFP final last season, have indicated they will decline a postseason invitation after missing out this year.
