Big 12 Conference Chief Labels Notre Dame Remarks Following CFP Omission as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
During a public rebuke, Big 12 chief stated that Notre Dame's AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for his comments about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Dispute
Notre Dame maintains a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a full member in other sports. Bevacqua has argued that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s opportunities to enter the College Football Playoff, instead campaigning for the selection of the University of Miami.
“The ACC do great things for Notre Dame, but we provide significant football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would go out of your way to try to undermine us in this process,” Bevacqua stated.
Miami ultimately earned the CFP spot over Notre Dame, largely due to winning the direct contest between the two schools. Notre Dame's AD additionally stated that the ACC conducted a targeted social media push over several weeks showing its preference for Miami.
An Egregious Rebuke
Later on Tuesday, Yormark responded to the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his conduct has been egregious,” the commissioner stated. “He is totally out of bounds in his method and if he was in the same room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
The pushback is particularly striking given Bevacqua’s special position. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the interests of independent Notre Dame.
Historical Context and Future Rumors
Yormark further pointed out the lifeline the ACC offered Notre Dame during the Covid-affected 2020 season, giving the Irish a complete conference schedule and a berth in its title game.
“His behavior has been unacceptable,” he reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable attacking the ACC commissioner, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had circulated about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's strong comments on Tuesday appear to make such a move unlikely in the near term.
Notre Dame, who made the CFP final last season, have indicated they plan to decline a bowl game after failing to qualify this year.