Big 12 Conference Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Remarks After CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
During a strong statement, Big 12 chief asserted that Notre Dame athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for his remarks targeting the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Tension
The Fighting Irish has a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a participating member in other sports. Bevacqua has argued that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s chances to make the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to advocating for the spot of the University of Miami.
“The ACC do wonderful 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 damage us in this process,” the athletic director remarked.
The Hurricanes eventually received the CFP berth over Notre Dame, mostly due to securing the direct matchup between the two teams. Notre Dame's AD additionally stated that the ACC engaged in a coordinated social media campaign over multiple weeks indicating its support for Miami.
An Egregious Rebuke
Later on Tuesday, Yormark responded to the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his behavior has been out of line,” the commissioner commented. “He is totally out of bounds in his method and if he was in the room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
The criticism is especially notable given Bevacqua’s unique position. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the concerns of independent Notre Dame.
Historical Context and Speculative Rumors
Yormark also highlighted the assistance the ACC provided Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, providing the Irish a full ACC schedule and a place in its title game.
“His behavior has been unacceptable,” Yormark said again. “It’s been egregious attacking the ACC commissioner, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had spread about Notre Dame potentially leaving the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's strong comments on Tuesday seem to make such a partnership less likely in the immediate future.
The Irish, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have indicated they plan to decline a bowl game after failing to qualify this year.