Big 12 Conference Chief Calls Notre Dame Comments After CFP Omission as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
At a public criticism, Big 12 chief declared that Notre Dame's AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for public comments concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Tension
Notre Dame has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a full member in other sports. The AD has argued that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s chances to enter the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to campaigning for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“The ACC do wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we bring substantial football value to the ACC, and we couldn't comprehend why you would make an effort to try to undermine us in this procedure,” Bevacqua stated.
The Hurricanes eventually received the CFP berth over Notre Dame, primarily due to winning the direct matchup between the two schools. Notre Dame's AD also claimed that the ACC conducted a targeted social media effort over several weeks indicating its preference for Miami.
A Strong Reaction
Subsequently on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner spoke about the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his behavior has been egregious,” the commissioner stated. “He is completely out of bounds in his method and if he was in the same room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
The pushback is especially significant given Bevacqua’s prominent standing. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the interests of football independent Notre Dame.
Historical Support and Speculative Rumors
The commissioner further pointed out the lifeline the ACC provided Notre Dame during the Covid-affected 2020 season, giving the Irish a full conference schedule and a berth in its championship game.
“His behavior has been egregious,” Yormark said again. “It’s been egregious criticizing the ACC commissioner, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had spread about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, Yormark's strong reprimand on Tuesday appear to make such a scenario highly improbable in the immediate future.
Notre Dame, who made the CFP championship game last season, have stated they plan to decline a bowl game after failing to qualify this year.
