Big 12 Conference Chief Calls Notre Dame Remarks Following CFP Snub as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
At a strong criticism, Big 12 chief stated that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for recent comments 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 other sports. Bevacqua has argued that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s bid to make the College Football Playoff, instead pushing for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“They do great things for Notre Dame, but we provide significant football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would make an effort to try to hurt us in this process,” the athletic director remarked.
The Hurricanes ultimately secured the CFP berth over Notre Dame, primarily due to winning the head-to-head matchup between the two teams. Notre Dame's AD further alleged that the ACC ran a targeted social media campaign over multiple weeks indicating its preference for Miami.
An Egregious Rebuke
Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark responded to the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his conduct has been out of line,” Yormark said. “He is totally out of bounds in his method and if he was in the same room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
The response is especially notable given Bevacqua’s unique standing. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the concerns of independent Notre Dame.
Past Context and Future Rumors
Yormark further remarked the support the ACC offered Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, providing the Irish a complete ACC schedule and a berth in its championship game.
“It has been unacceptable,” Yormark said again. “It’s been unacceptable criticizing the ACC commissioner, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had spread about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, Yormark's public comments on Tuesday appear to make such a partnership less likely in the immediate future.
Notre Dame, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have indicated they are declining a bowl game after missing out this season.
