Big 12 Commissioner Labels Notre Dame Comments After CFP Omission as ‘Completely Out of Bounds’
At a public criticism, Big 12 chief declared that Notre Dame AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for his criticisms 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 other sports. The AD has contended that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s chances to make the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to campaigning for the spot of the University of Miami.
“They do wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we bring tremendous 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 selection,” the athletic director stated.
The Hurricanes ultimately received the CFP spot over Notre Dame, primarily due to winning the direct meeting between the two schools. Bevacqua also claimed that the ACC conducted a targeted social media campaign over multiple weeks showing its support for Miami.
An Egregious Rebuke
Later on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner responded to the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
“My opinion is that his actions has been out of line,” the commissioner stated. “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 particularly notable given Bevacqua’s special position. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of independent Notre Dame.
Past Support and Speculative Moves
The commissioner also pointed out the support the ACC provided Notre Dame during the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a complete ACC schedule and a berth in its title game.
“It has been unacceptable,” he said again. “It’s been egregious attacking Jim Phillips, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...”
Rumors had circulated about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. Yet, the commissioner's pointed comments on Tuesday appear to make such a scenario unlikely in the near term.
The Irish, who reached the CFP final last season, have stated they are declining a bowl game after failing to qualify this year.
