Big 12 Conference Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Remarks Following CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
In a public rebuke, Big 12 Conference commissioner declared that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for public remarks concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Controversy
The Fighting Irish maintains a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a full member in all other sports. The AD has claimed that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s bid to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead advocating for the spot of the University of Miami.
“The ACC does 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 procedure,” the athletic director said.
The Hurricanes ultimately earned the CFP spot over Notre Dame, largely due to securing the direct matchup between the two schools. Notre Dame's AD additionally stated that the ACC ran a coordinated social media effort over multiple weeks indicating its preference for Miami.
A Strong Rebuke
Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark spoke about the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his actions has been egregious,” Yormark said. “He is totally out of bounds in his tactics and if he was in the same room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
The pushback is especially striking given Bevacqua’s unique standing. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of independent Notre Dame.
Past Support and Speculative Rumors
The commissioner also pointed out the lifeline the ACC provided Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, providing the Irish a complete conference schedule and a berth in its championship game.
“It has been egregious,” Yormark reiterated. “It’s been egregious criticizing the ACC commissioner, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had spread about Notre Dame possibly leaving the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's strong reprimand on Tuesday appear to make such a partnership unlikely in the near term.
The Irish, who made the CFP championship game last season, have stated they are declining a bowl game after missing out this year.