Big 12 Chief Labels Notre Dame Comments After CFP Snub as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
During a strong statement, Big 12 Conference commissioner stated that Notre Dame athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for his criticisms about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Dispute
The Fighting Irish has a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a participating member in other sports. The AD has argued that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s bid to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to advocating for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“They do wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we offer substantial football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would go out of your way to try to damage us in this process,” the athletic director stated.
The Hurricanes ultimately earned the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, largely due to securing the head-to-head matchup between the two schools. Bevacqua further alleged that the ACC ran a coordinated social media campaign over several weeks showing its support for Miami.
A Strong Reaction
Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark responded to the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his conduct has been egregious,” the commissioner stated. “He is totally out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the same room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
The response is particularly significant given Bevacqua’s prominent role. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.
Past Support and Speculative Moves
The commissioner also pointed out the lifeline the ACC gave Notre Dame in the Covid-affected 2020 season, giving the Irish a complete ACC schedule and a berth in its championship game.
“It has been egregious,” Yormark said again. “It’s been egregious attacking Jim Phillips, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had spread about Notre Dame possibly leaving the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. Yet, Yormark's public reprimand on Tuesday seem to make such a move unlikely in the near term.
Notre Dame, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have announced they will decline a postseason invitation after failing to qualify this year.
