Big 12 Conference Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Remarks Following CFP Snub as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
During a notable rebuke, Big 12 chief asserted that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for his remarks targeting the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Tension
The Fighting Irish maintains a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. The AD has argued that the ACC actively damaged 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 make an effort to try to hurt us in this selection,” Bevacqua said.
The Hurricanes ultimately secured the CFP berth over Notre Dame, primarily due to securing the head-to-head meeting between the two programs. Notre Dame's AD further alleged that the ACC conducted a coordinated social media push over multiple weeks showing its preference for Miami.
A Strong Rebuke
Later on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner addressed the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his behavior has been egregious,” Yormark said. “He is completely out of bounds in his method and if he was in the room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
This public response is particularly significant given Bevacqua’s unique position. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the interests of independent Notre Dame.
Past Support and Future Moves
Yormark further highlighted the lifeline the ACC provided 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 egregious criticizing Jim Phillips, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Speculation had spread about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's strong comments on Tuesday appear to make such a scenario unlikely in the near term.
Notre Dame, who made the CFP final last season, have indicated they will decline a postseason invitation after failing to qualify this season.
