Big 12 Conference Chief Calls Notre Dame Comments Following CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
At a strong rebuke, Big 12 Conference commissioner asserted that Notre Dame's AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for recent remarks about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Tension
Notre Dame maintains a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in other sports. Bevacqua has contended that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s opportunities to make the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to campaigning for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“They does great things for Notre Dame, but we offer substantial football value to the ACC, and we couldn't comprehend why you would make an effort to try to undermine us in this procedure,” the athletic director stated.
The Hurricanes eventually received the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, primarily due to securing the head-to-head matchup between the two programs. Notre Dame's AD also claimed that the ACC engaged in a targeted social media effort over multiple weeks indicating its preference for Miami.
An Egregious Reaction
Later on Tuesday, Yormark addressed the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his behavior has been out of line,” the commissioner said. “He is totally out of bounds in his tactics and if he was in the same room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
The response is especially significant given Bevacqua’s special role. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the concerns of independent Notre Dame.
Historical Context and Speculative Moves
The commissioner further highlighted the assistance the ACC gave Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a full ACC schedule and a berth in its championship game.
“It has been egregious,” Yormark said again. “It’s been unacceptable going after Jim Phillips, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had circulated about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, Yormark's strong comments on Tuesday seem to make such a partnership highly improbable in the near term.
The Irish, who made the CFP championship game last season, have stated they are declining a bowl game after failing to qualify this season.
