Big 12 Conference Chief Labels Notre Dame Comments After CFP Snub as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
During a notable criticism, Big 12 chief declared that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for public comments about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Dispute
The Fighting Irish has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a full member in other sports. Bevacqua has claimed that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s chances to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to campaigning for the spot of the University of Miami.
“They do wonderful 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 selection,” Bevacqua remarked.
The Hurricanes eventually earned the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, primarily due to winning the direct contest between the two programs. Bevacqua also claimed that the ACC conducted a coordinated social media effort over multiple weeks indicating its preference for Miami.
An Egregious Rebuke
Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark spoke about the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his conduct has been egregious,” Yormark stated. “He is completely out of bounds in his method and if he was in the room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
The criticism is especially notable given Bevacqua’s unique role. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.
Past Context and Speculative Moves
Yormark further pointed out the lifeline the ACC offered Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 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 going after the ACC commissioner, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had spread about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. Yet, Yormark's public comments on Tuesday seem to make such a move highly improbable in the immediate future.
Notre Dame, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have indicated they plan to decline a postseason invitation after missing out this year.
