Big 12 Commissioner Labels Notre Dame Remarks Following CFP Omission as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
During a notable rebuke, Big 12 Conference commissioner stated that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for his criticisms concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Dispute
The Fighting Irish maintains a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a full member in other sports. The AD has argued that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s chances to enter the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to campaigning for the spot of the University of Miami.
“The ACC does great things for Notre Dame, but we bring tremendous football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would make an effort to try to damage us in this process,” Bevacqua stated.
Miami ultimately earned the CFP spot over Notre Dame, largely due to winning the head-to-head meeting between the two teams. Bevacqua further alleged that the ACC ran a targeted social media campaign over multiple weeks showing its preference for Miami.
A Strong Response
Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark responded to the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his actions has been egregious,” the commissioner commented. “He is completely out of bounds in his tactics and if he was in the same room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
This public pushback is particularly notable given Bevacqua’s special role. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of independent Notre Dame.
Past Support and Speculative Moves
Yormark further remarked the lifeline the ACC provided Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a full conference schedule and a place in its title game.
“His behavior has been egregious,” Yormark reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable going after the ACC commissioner, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had circulated about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. Yet, the commissioner's public comments on Tuesday appear to make such a move highly improbable in the near term.
The Irish, who made the CFP final last season, have announced they plan to decline a postseason invitation after missing out this year.
