Big 12 Conference Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Comments Following CFP Snub as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
At a notable statement, Big 12 chief stated that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for recent comments about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Tension
Notre Dame has a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. The AD has contended that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s bid to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to advocating for the selection of the University of Miami.
“They do great things for Notre Dame, but we provide substantial football value to the ACC, and we couldn't comprehend why you would make an effort to try to hurt us in this procedure,” Bevacqua stated.
Miami eventually earned the CFP spot over Notre Dame, largely due to winning the head-to-head meeting between the two teams. Notre Dame's AD additionally stated that the ACC engaged in a targeted social media push over multiple weeks indicating its preference for Miami.
An Egregious Response
Subsequently on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner addressed the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his actions has been out of line,” Yormark commented. “He is completely out of bounds in his tactics and if he was in the same room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
The response is particularly significant given Bevacqua’s unique role. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the interests of independent Notre Dame.
Past Support and Future Rumors
Yormark further remarked the assistance the ACC gave Notre Dame in the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a complete conference schedule and a place in its championship game.
“It has been unacceptable,” he reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable attacking the ACC commissioner, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had spread about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, the commissioner'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 plan to decline a postseason invitation after missing out this year.
