Big 12 Conference Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Comments After CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
At a public rebuke, Big 12 chief declared that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for recent criticisms targeting the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Tension
The Fighting Irish has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in other sports. Bevacqua has contended that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s opportunities to enter the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to advocating for the spot of the University of Miami.
“They do wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we provide significant football value to the ACC, and we couldn't comprehend why you would make an effort to try to damage us in this procedure,” Bevacqua remarked.
The Hurricanes ultimately received the CFP berth over Notre Dame, mostly due to winning the direct contest between the two teams. Notre Dame's AD further alleged that the ACC ran a targeted social media campaign over multiple weeks showing its support for Miami.
An Egregious Response
Later on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner spoke about the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his actions has been out of line,” the commissioner commented. “He is completely out of bounds in his tactics and if he was in the room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
This public response is especially striking given Bevacqua’s unique role. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.
Past Context and Speculative Moves
The commissioner further remarked the lifeline the ACC provided Notre Dame in the Covid-affected 2020 season, giving the Irish a full conference schedule and a berth in its title game.
“His behavior has been egregious,” Yormark said again. “It’s been egregious criticizing the ACC commissioner, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had circulated about Notre Dame possibly leaving the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. Yet, the commissioner's strong reprimand on Tuesday appear to make such a partnership unlikely in the immediate future.
Notre Dame, who made the CFP final last season, have stated they are declining a postseason invitation after failing to qualify this season.
