Big 12 Chief Calls Notre Dame Remarks Following CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
At a public statement, Big 12 chief asserted that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for public comments concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Tension
The Fighting Irish has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. The AD has contended that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s opportunities to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to advocating for the spot of the University of Miami.
“The ACC do great things for Notre Dame, but we provide significant football value to the ACC, and we couldn't comprehend why you would make an effort to try to hurt us in this procedure,” the athletic director remarked.
Miami eventually secured the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, largely due to securing the head-to-head contest between the two programs. Bevacqua also claimed that the ACC conducted a coordinated social media push over multiple weeks showing its preference for Miami.
An Egregious Response
Subsequently on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner addressed the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his behavior has been egregious,” the commissioner commented. “He is completely out of bounds in his tactics and if he was in the room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
The response is especially striking given Bevacqua’s prominent role. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.
Past Support and Future Rumors
The commissioner further remarked the lifeline the ACC gave Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a full ACC schedule and a place in its championship game.
“It has been unacceptable,” Yormark reiterated. “It’s been egregious going after Jim Phillips, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had spread about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's pointed reprimand on Tuesday appear to make such a partnership less likely in the immediate future.
Notre Dame, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have announced they are declining a postseason invitation after missing out this year.
