Big 12 Chief Labels Notre Dame Remarks Following CFP Omission as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
During a public criticism, Big 12 chief declared that Notre Dame AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for recent criticisms about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Root of the Dispute
Notre Dame has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a full member in all other sports. Bevacqua has contended that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s bid to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to campaigning for the spot of the University of Miami.
“The ACC do great things for Notre Dame, but we provide substantial football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would go out of your way to try to damage us in this procedure,” Bevacqua remarked.
The Hurricanes ultimately received the CFP spot over Notre Dame, primarily due to winning the direct meeting between the two schools. Notre Dame's AD additionally stated that the ACC ran a coordinated social media campaign over several weeks indicating its preference for Miami.
A Strong Response
Later on Tuesday, Yormark responded to the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his conduct has been out of line,” Yormark stated. “He is totally out of bounds in his method and if he was in the same room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
This public pushback is particularly notable given Bevacqua’s prominent standing. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.
Historical Context and Future Moves
Yormark further highlighted the support the ACC provided Notre Dame in the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a full conference schedule and a place in its title game.
“His behavior has been egregious,” he reiterated. “It’s been egregious attacking the ACC commissioner, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had spread about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. Yet, Yormark's pointed comments on Tuesday seem to make such a move highly improbable in the immediate future.
The Irish, who made the CFP final last season, have stated they will decline a bowl game after missing out this season.
