Big 12 Conference Commissioner Labels Notre Dame Comments After CFP Snub as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
At a notable rebuke, Big 12 Conference commissioner declared that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for his criticisms about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Dispute
Notre Dame has a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a full member in all other sports. The AD has contended that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s bid to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead advocating for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“They does great things for Notre Dame, but we bring substantial football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would go out of your way to try to undermine us in this process,” the athletic director said.
The Hurricanes ultimately secured the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, largely due to securing the head-to-head contest between the two teams. Notre Dame's AD additionally stated that the ACC conducted a targeted social media push over several weeks showing its preference for Miami.
A Strong Rebuke
Subsequently on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner addressed the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his conduct has been egregious,” Yormark stated. “He is completely out of bounds in his method and if he was in the room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
This public pushback is especially significant given Bevacqua’s special standing. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.
Past Context and Speculative Moves
The commissioner also highlighted the assistance the ACC provided Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, providing the Irish a complete ACC schedule and a berth in its championship game.
“His behavior has been unacceptable,” he said again. “It’s been unacceptable going after the ACC commissioner, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had circulated about Notre Dame potentially leaving the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's public reprimand on Tuesday seem to make such a move less likely in the immediate future.
Notre Dame, who reached the CFP final last season, have stated they are declining a bowl game after missing out this year.
