Big 12 Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Comments After CFP Omission as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’
In a notable criticism, Big 12 chief stated that Notre Dame's AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for public comments about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The Source of the Dispute
Notre Dame maintains a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. The AD has argued that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s opportunities to enter the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to advocating for the selection of the University of Miami.
“They does great things for Notre Dame, but we bring significant 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 process,” the athletic director remarked.
Miami ultimately received the CFP spot over Notre Dame, largely due to winning the direct contest between the two teams. Notre Dame's AD further alleged that the ACC ran a targeted social media effort over multiple weeks demonstrating its support for Miami.
An Egregious Rebuke
Later on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner responded to the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“I think his behavior has been egregious,” the commissioner commented. “He is completely out of bounds in his method and if he was in the room, I’d tell him the same thing.”
The pushback is especially striking given Bevacqua’s prominent role. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the interests of football independent Notre Dame.
Past Context and Future Rumors
The commissioner also pointed out the assistance the ACC offered Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, providing the Irish a full conference schedule and a berth in its title game.
“His behavior has been egregious,” he reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable going after Jim Phillips, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”
Talk had spread about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's strong comments on Tuesday appear to make such a scenario highly improbable in the immediate future.
Notre Dame, who reached the CFP final last season, have announced they plan to decline a postseason invitation after failing to qualify this year.
