Big 12 Chief Labels Notre Dame Comments After CFP Snub as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
At a notable criticism, Big 12 chief declared that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for public remarks about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Tension
The Fighting Irish has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. The AD has contended that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s opportunities to enter the College Football Playoff, instead pushing for the spot of the University of Miami.
“They do great things for Notre Dame, but we bring substantial football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would go out of your way to try to undermine us in this procedure,” the athletic director stated.
The Hurricanes eventually received the CFP berth over Notre Dame, largely due to securing the direct contest between the two teams. Notre Dame's AD further alleged that the ACC conducted a targeted social media effort over multiple weeks showing its support for Miami.
A Strong Response
Later on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner spoke about the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“In my view his actions has been egregious,” the commissioner said. “He is totally out of bounds in his method and if he was in the same room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
The pushback is especially notable given Bevacqua’s prominent role. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the concerns of independent Notre Dame.
Past Context and Speculative Rumors
The commissioner further highlighted the assistance the ACC provided Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a complete conference schedule and a berth in its title game.
“It has been unacceptable,” Yormark said again. “It’s been unacceptable going after Jim Phillips, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had circulated about Notre Dame possibly leaving the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's strong comments on Tuesday seem to make such a partnership unlikely in the near term.
The Irish, who reached the CFP final last season, have announced they are declining a bowl game after failing to qualify this year.
