Big 12 Conference Chief Labels Notre Dame Remarks Following CFP Snub as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
At a strong criticism, Big 12 Conference commissioner asserted that Notre Dame athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for public criticisms targeting the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Tension
Notre Dame has a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a full member in all other sports. The AD has claimed that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s chances to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead advocating for the selection of the University of Miami.
“They does wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we offer substantial football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would go out of your way to try to damage us in this procedure,” Bevacqua remarked.
The Hurricanes ultimately received the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, mostly due to securing the head-to-head matchup between the two teams. Bevacqua also claimed that the ACC conducted a coordinated social media push over multiple weeks showing its support for Miami.
An Egregious Reaction
Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark addressed the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his conduct has been out of line,” Yormark commented. “He is completely out of bounds in his method and if he was in the room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
This public pushback is particularly striking given Bevacqua’s unique position. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the interests of football independent Notre Dame.
Historical Support and Speculative Moves
Yormark further highlighted the support the ACC offered Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, providing the Irish a complete ACC schedule and a place in its title game.
“His behavior has been egregious,” Yormark said again. “It’s been egregious criticizing Jim Phillips, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had circulated about Notre Dame possibly leaving the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. However, Yormark's strong reprimand on Tuesday appear to make such a move less likely in the immediate future.
The Irish, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have stated they are declining a bowl game after failing to qualify this year.
