Big 12 Chief Labels Notre Dame Remarks After CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
During a strong criticism, Big 12 chief declared that Notre Dame's AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for his criticisms concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Tension
Notre Dame maintains a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in other sports. Bevacqua has claimed that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s opportunities to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead pushing for the inclusion of the University of Miami.
“They does wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we offer tremendous football value to the ACC, and we couldn't comprehend why you would go out of your way to try to undermine us in this process,” Bevacqua stated.
Miami eventually earned the CFP spot over Notre Dame, primarily due to securing the head-to-head matchup between the two teams. Bevacqua additionally stated that the ACC engaged in a targeted social media campaign over multiple weeks showing its support for Miami.
A Strong Response
Later on Tuesday, Yormark addressed the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his actions has been out of line,” the commissioner commented. “He is totally out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
The pushback is particularly significant given Bevacqua’s special role. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.
Past Support and Speculative Rumors
The commissioner also remarked the lifeline the ACC gave Notre Dame in the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a complete ACC schedule and a place in its championship game.
“His behavior has been unacceptable,” Yormark reiterated. “It’s been egregious going after the ACC commissioner, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had circulated about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, Yormark's public comments on Tuesday seem to make such a scenario highly improbable in the immediate future.
Notre Dame, who made the CFP final last season, have announced they will decline a postseason invitation after missing out this year.
