Big 12 Commissioner Labels Notre Dame Remarks Following CFP Omission as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’

During a public rebuke, Big 12 chief declared that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for recent 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 full member in all other sports. The AD has claimed that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s chances to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead pushing for the spot of the University of Miami.

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

Miami ultimately earned the CFP spot over Notre Dame, mostly due to winning the head-to-head matchup between the two programs. Bevacqua also claimed that the ACC ran a coordinated social media push over multiple weeks demonstrating its support for Miami.

An Egregious Rebuke

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

“My opinion is that his conduct has been egregious,” the commissioner stated. “He is totally out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the room, I’d say to him the same thing.”

The pushback is particularly striking given Bevacqua’s special role. 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 Rumors

The commissioner also pointed out the lifeline the ACC gave Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a full ACC schedule and a berth in its title game.

“His behavior has been egregious,” Yormark reiterated. “It’s been egregious going after the ACC commissioner, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...”

Rumors had spread about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. Yet, the commissioner's pointed reprimand on Tuesday appear to make such a move less likely in the immediate future.

The Irish, who reached the CFP final last season, have indicated they are declining a bowl game after missing out this season.