Big 12 Commissioner Labels Notre Dame Remarks After CFP Snub as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
At a public rebuke, Big 12 Conference commissioner stated that Notre Dame AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for public remarks about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Tension
Notre Dame has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a full member in other sports. The AD has claimed that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s bid to make the College Football Playoff, instead advocating 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 undermine us in this process,” the athletic director said.
Miami ultimately earned the CFP berth over Notre Dame, primarily due to winning the direct meeting between the two programs. Notre Dame's AD further alleged that the ACC ran a targeted social media campaign over several weeks indicating its preference for Miami.
An Egregious Response
Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark responded to the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his behavior has been unacceptable,” Yormark said. “He is completely out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
The pushback is especially notable given Bevacqua’s unique position. 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 Speculative Moves
Yormark also pointed out the assistance the ACC gave Notre Dame during the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a complete conference schedule and a place in its title game.
“His behavior has been unacceptable,” he said again. “It’s been unacceptable attacking Jim Phillips, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had circulated about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's public reprimand on Tuesday appear to make such a partnership highly improbable in the near term.
The Irish, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have announced they will decline a bowl game after missing out this year.
