Big 12 Chief Calls Notre Dame Comments Following CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
At a strong criticism, Big 12 chief asserted that Notre Dame AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for recent remarks concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Tension
Notre Dame has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a full member in all other sports. Bevacqua has claimed that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s bid to make the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to advocating for the selection of the University of Miami.
“The ACC do great things for Notre Dame, but we bring 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 selection,” Bevacqua stated.
The Hurricanes eventually received the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, mostly due to winning the head-to-head contest between the two programs. Notre Dame's AD additionally stated that the ACC conducted a coordinated social media push over multiple weeks indicating its support for Miami.
An Egregious Response
Subsequently on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner addressed the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his behavior has been out of line,” Yormark stated. “He is completely out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
The pushback is especially significant given Bevacqua’s prominent position. 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 Support and Speculative Moves
Yormark also highlighted the lifeline the ACC provided Notre Dame in the Covid-affected 2020 season, giving the Irish a full ACC schedule and a berth in its title game.
“His behavior has been egregious,” he reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable attacking Jim Phillips, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had spread about Notre Dame possibly leaving the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. Yet, Yormark's public comments on Tuesday appear to make such a scenario less likely in the immediate future.
The Irish, who made the CFP championship game last season, have announced they will decline a postseason invitation after missing out this year.
