Big 12 Conference Chief Labels Notre Dame Comments Following CFP Snub as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
During a strong statement, Big 12 Conference commissioner stated that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for public comments about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Tension
The Fighting Irish maintains a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. The AD has argued that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s bid to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead pushing for the selection of the University of Miami.
“The ACC do great things for Notre Dame, but we bring significant football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would make an effort to try to damage us in this selection,” the athletic director stated.
The Hurricanes eventually received the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, mostly due to winning the direct contest between the two teams. Notre Dame's AD also claimed that the ACC conducted a targeted social media campaign over multiple weeks indicating its preference for Miami.
A Strong Reaction
Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark addressed the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his actions has been out of line,” the commissioner 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 pushback is particularly notable given Bevacqua’s prominent standing. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the interests of independent Notre Dame.
Past Support and Future Moves
The commissioner further remarked the assistance the ACC provided Notre Dame during the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a complete conference schedule and a berth in its title game.
“His behavior has been unacceptable,” he said again. “It’s been egregious criticizing the ACC commissioner, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had spread about Notre Dame potentially leaving the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's public comments on Tuesday seem to make such a move highly improbable in the near term.
The Irish, who reached the CFP final last season, have announced they are declining a bowl game after missing out this season.