Big 12 Conference Chief Calls Notre Dame Remarks After CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
At a notable rebuke, Big 12 chief stated that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for his criticisms about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Dispute
Notre Dame 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 bid to enter the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to pushing for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“They do great things for Notre Dame, but we offer tremendous football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would make an effort to try to damage us in this selection,” Bevacqua said.
Miami ultimately received the CFP berth over Notre Dame, primarily due to winning the direct meeting between the two teams. Notre Dame's AD also claimed that the ACC ran a coordinated social media push over several weeks demonstrating its preference for Miami.
A Strong Reaction
Later on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner responded to the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his conduct has been egregious,” Yormark said. “He is totally out of bounds in his method and if he was in the same room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
This public response is particularly striking given Bevacqua’s unique standing. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the interests of independent Notre Dame.
Historical Context and Speculative Rumors
Yormark also highlighted the support the ACC offered Notre Dame during the Covid-affected 2020 season, giving the Irish a complete ACC schedule and a berth in its title game.
“It has been unacceptable,” Yormark said again. “It’s been egregious criticizing the ACC commissioner, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had spread about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. However, Yormark's strong reprimand on Tuesday seem to make such a scenario unlikely in the immediate future.
Notre Dame, who made the CFP championship game last season, have indicated they will decline a postseason invitation after missing out this year.
