Big 12 Conference Commissioner Labels Notre Dame Remarks Following CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
At a notable rebuke, Big 12 chief declared that Notre Dame's AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for recent remarks concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Controversy
The Fighting Irish maintains a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. The AD has claimed that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s bid to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to pushing for the selection of the University of Miami.
“The ACC do great things for Notre Dame, but we offer tremendous 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.
Miami ultimately received the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, primarily due to securing the direct matchup between the two schools. Bevacqua additionally stated that the ACC ran a coordinated social media campaign over multiple weeks demonstrating its support for Miami.
An Egregious Rebuke
Later on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner spoke about the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his actions has been unacceptable,” Yormark commented. “He is completely 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 especially striking given Bevacqua’s unique role. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.
Historical Context and Future Rumors
The commissioner further pointed out the support the ACC provided Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a full conference schedule and a berth in its championship game.
“His behavior has been unacceptable,” he reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable criticizing Jim Phillips, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had spread about Notre Dame potentially leaving the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. Yet, the commissioner's strong reprimand on Tuesday seem to make such a move unlikely in the near term.
The Irish, who made the CFP final last season, have announced they will decline a postseason invitation after missing out this year.
