Big 12 Chief Labels Notre Dame Remarks After CFP Snub as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
At a public criticism, Big 12 Conference commissioner declared that Notre Dame's AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for recent criticisms concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root 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 argued that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s chances to enter the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to pushing 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 couldn't comprehend why you would go out of your way to try to hurt us in this process,” Bevacqua remarked.
The Hurricanes eventually received the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, largely due to winning the direct contest between the two schools. Bevacqua also claimed that the ACC ran a coordinated social media push over several weeks demonstrating its preference for Miami.
An Egregious Reaction
Later on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner spoke about the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his conduct has been unacceptable,” the commissioner stated. “He is totally out of bounds in his tactics and if he was in the room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
This public pushback is especially significant given Bevacqua’s prominent standing. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the interests of independent Notre Dame.
Past Context and Speculative Moves
Yormark further remarked the support the ACC gave Notre Dame in the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a full conference schedule and a place in its championship game.
“It has been unacceptable,” he reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable criticizing Jim Phillips, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had circulated about Notre Dame potentially leaving the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, Yormark's strong reprimand on Tuesday appear to make such a scenario less likely in the immediate future.
The Irish, who made the CFP championship game last season, have stated they plan to decline a bowl game after failing to qualify this year.
