Big 12 Chief Calls Notre Dame Remarks Following CFP Snub as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
At a public statement, Big 12 chief stated that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for his comments concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Dispute
The Fighting Irish has a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a full member in other sports. Bevacqua has argued that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s bid to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead campaigning for the selection of the University of Miami.
“The ACC does great things for Notre Dame, but we provide substantial football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would make an effort to try to hurt us in this process,” Bevacqua remarked.
Miami eventually secured the CFP berth over Notre Dame, mostly due to securing the direct meeting between the two schools. Notre Dame's AD also claimed that the ACC ran a coordinated social media campaign over multiple weeks demonstrating its preference for Miami.
A Strong Reaction
Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark addressed the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his conduct has been egregious,” the commissioner said. “He is totally out of bounds in his method and if he was in the room, I’d say to him the same thing.”
The pushback is particularly striking given Bevacqua’s special standing. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the concerns of independent Notre Dame.
Historical Context and Future Moves
The commissioner also highlighted the lifeline the ACC offered Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, providing the Irish a full ACC schedule and a place in its championship game.
“His behavior has been unacceptable,” he said again. “It’s been egregious attacking the ACC commissioner, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had spread about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. Yet, Yormark's strong comments on Tuesday seem to make such a scenario highly improbable in the immediate future.
The Irish, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have indicated they will decline a postseason invitation after failing to qualify this season.
