Big 12 Commissioner Labels Notre Dame Remarks Following CFP Omission as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
At a notable rebuke, Big 12 Conference commissioner asserted that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for public comments about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Tension
The Fighting Irish has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a full member in all other sports. Bevacqua has claimed that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s opportunities to make the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to campaigning for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“The ACC do wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we bring tremendous football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would go out of your way to try to undermine us in this process,” Bevacqua said.
Miami eventually received the CFP berth over Notre Dame, primarily due to winning the direct meeting between the two teams. Bevacqua further alleged that the ACC ran a coordinated social media campaign over several weeks showing its support for Miami.
An Egregious Reaction
Later on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner addressed the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his conduct has been unacceptable,” Yormark commented. “He is completely out of bounds in his method and if he was in the same room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
This public criticism is particularly notable given Bevacqua’s unique standing. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the interests of independent Notre Dame.
Past Support and Future Rumors
Yormark also highlighted the support the ACC gave Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, providing the Irish a full conference schedule and a place in its title game.
“His behavior has been egregious,” he reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable attacking the ACC commissioner, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had circulated about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's pointed reprimand on Tuesday seem to make such a scenario unlikely in the near term.
The Irish, who made the CFP final last season, have stated they plan to decline a postseason invitation after failing to qualify this year.
