Big 12 Conference Commissioner Labels Notre Dame Comments Following CFP Snub as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
At a notable rebuke, Big 12 Conference commissioner asserted that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for his comments about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Controversy
Notre Dame has a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. Bevacqua has claimed that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s chances to make the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to pushing for the selection 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 make an effort to try to undermine us in this procedure,” the athletic director stated.
Miami eventually received the CFP spot over Notre Dame, largely due to securing the head-to-head meeting between the two schools. Notre Dame's AD also claimed that the ACC conducted a coordinated social media effort over multiple weeks indicating its support for Miami.
An Egregious Reaction
Subsequently on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner responded to the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his behavior has been egregious,” the commissioner said. “He is totally out of bounds in his method and if he was in the room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
The criticism is particularly striking given Bevacqua’s prominent standing. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of independent Notre Dame.
Past Context and Future Rumors
Yormark also pointed out the support the ACC offered Notre Dame in the Covid-affected 2020 season, giving the Irish a complete conference schedule and a berth in its championship game.
“It has been unacceptable,” he reiterated. “It’s been egregious attacking Jim Phillips, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had spread about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. Yet, the commissioner's strong reprimand on Tuesday seem to make such a partnership highly improbable in the near term.
The Irish, who reached the CFP final last season, have indicated they will decline a postseason invitation after failing to qualify this season.
