Big 12 Conference Commissioner Labels Notre Dame Remarks Following CFP Snub as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
At a notable criticism, Big 12 chief asserted that Notre Dame athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for his comments about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Dispute
The Fighting Irish maintains a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. The AD has contended that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s opportunities to enter the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to advocating for the spot of the University of Miami.
“They does great 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 procedure,” Bevacqua said.
The Hurricanes ultimately secured the CFP spot over Notre Dame, largely due to winning the head-to-head meeting between the two teams. Notre Dame's AD additionally stated that the ACC ran a coordinated social media effort over several weeks demonstrating its preference for Miami.
A Strong Reaction
Later on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner spoke about the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his actions has been out of line,” the commissioner stated. “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.”
The pushback is especially striking given Bevacqua’s special standing. 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 Speculative Moves
The commissioner further remarked the lifeline the ACC provided Notre Dame in the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a full ACC schedule and a place in its championship game.
“His behavior has been egregious,” Yormark said again. “It’s been unacceptable going after Jim Phillips, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had spread about Notre Dame potentially leaving the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. Yet, the commissioner's public comments on Tuesday seem to make such a partnership unlikely in the immediate future.
The Irish, who made the CFP championship game last season, have indicated they are declining a bowl game after failing to qualify this season.