Big 12 Conference Commissioner Labels Notre Dame Remarks Following CFP Snub as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’

During a notable rebuke, Big 12 chief stated that Notre Dame's AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for public comments about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

The Source of the Dispute

Notre Dame has a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a full member in other sports. The AD has argued that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s opportunities to make the College Football Playoff, instead campaigning for the spot of the University of Miami.

“The ACC does wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we offer tremendous football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would make an effort to try to damage us in this procedure,” Bevacqua stated.

The Hurricanes ultimately earned the CFP spot over Notre Dame, primarily due to winning the direct meeting between the two programs. Bevacqua further alleged that the ACC ran a targeted social media push over multiple weeks indicating its preference for Miami.

A Strong Reaction

Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark addressed the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.

“I think his behavior has been out of line,” the commissioner commented. “He is totally out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the same room, I’d say to him the same thing.”

The pushback is particularly significant given Bevacqua’s prominent standing. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.

Historical Context and Future Moves

The commissioner also remarked the support the ACC gave Notre Dame during the Covid-affected 2020 season, giving the Irish a full conference schedule and a berth in its championship game.

“It has been egregious,” Yormark reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable going after Jim Phillips, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”

Speculation had spread about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. Yet, the commissioner's strong comments on Tuesday seem to make such a move less likely in the immediate future.

Notre Dame, who made the CFP final last season, have announced they plan to decline a bowl game after failing to qualify this year.