Big 12 Conference Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Comments After CFP Snub as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
In a notable criticism, Big 12 chief stated that Notre Dame athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for his criticisms targeting the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Tension
Notre Dame maintains a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a full member in other sports. The AD has argued that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s chances to enter the College Football Playoff, instead pushing for the spot of the University of Miami.
“The ACC does wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we offer significant football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would make an effort to try to damage us in this procedure,” Bevacqua stated.
Miami eventually received the CFP spot over Notre Dame, primarily due to winning the direct matchup between the two programs. Bevacqua additionally stated that the ACC engaged in a targeted social media push over several weeks showing its support for Miami.
A Strong Reaction
Subsequently on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner addressed the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his behavior has been egregious,” the commissioner said. “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 notable given Bevacqua’s prominent 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 further remarked the assistance the ACC offered Notre Dame in the Covid-affected 2020 season, giving the Irish a complete ACC schedule and a place in its title game.
“It has been egregious,” Yormark reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable criticizing Jim Phillips, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had circulated about Notre Dame possibly leaving the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. Yet, the commissioner's public reprimand on Tuesday appear to make such a scenario highly improbable 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 season.
