Big 12 Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Comments Following CFP Omission as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’

At a public rebuke, Big 12 Conference commissioner stated that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for recent remarks about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

Root of the Tension

Notre Dame maintains a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a participating member in other sports. The AD has argued that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s chances to make the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to pushing for the spot of the University of Miami.

“The ACC do wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we bring significant football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would make an effort to try to hurt us in this selection,” Bevacqua remarked.

Miami eventually earned the CFP spot over Notre Dame, largely due to winning the direct meeting between the two schools. Notre Dame's AD also claimed that the ACC engaged in a targeted social media push over multiple weeks showing its preference for Miami.

A Strong Rebuke

Subsequently on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner responded to the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.

“In my view his conduct has been unacceptable,” Yormark stated. “He is totally out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the same room, I’d tell him the same thing.”

This public pushback is particularly notable given Bevacqua’s special position. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.

Historical Support and Speculative Rumors

Yormark also remarked the lifeline the ACC provided Notre Dame during the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a complete ACC schedule and a place in its championship game.

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

Speculation had circulated about Notre Dame possibly leaving the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. Yet, Yormark's pointed comments on Tuesday appear to make such a move highly improbable in the immediate future.

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