Big 12 Chief Labels Notre Dame Comments After CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
In a public criticism, Big 12 Conference commissioner stated that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for his comments concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Dispute
The Fighting Irish has a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a full member in all other sports. The AD has argued that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s opportunities to make the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to pushing for the spot of the University of Miami.
“They do wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we provide tremendous football value to the ACC, and we couldn't comprehend why you would go out of your way to try to hurt us in this selection,” Bevacqua remarked.
The Hurricanes eventually received the CFP berth over Notre Dame, largely due to securing the head-to-head meeting between the two programs. Notre Dame's AD additionally stated that the ACC engaged in a targeted social media push over multiple weeks demonstrating its support for Miami.
An Egregious Response
Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark spoke about the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his actions has been egregious,” the commissioner commented. “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 especially significant given Bevacqua’s unique standing. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the interests of football independent Notre Dame.
Past Context and Future Rumors
Yormark also pointed out the lifeline the ACC provided 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 reiterated. “It’s been egregious criticizing Jim Phillips, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had circulated about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's pointed comments on Tuesday appear to make such a partnership highly improbable in the immediate future.
The Irish, who reached the CFP final last season, have stated they are declining a postseason invitation after failing to qualify this season.
