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

In a strong criticism, Big 12 Conference commissioner stated that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for recent comments concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

Root of the Dispute

Notre Dame maintains a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. The AD has contended that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s opportunities to make the College Football Playoff, instead pushing for the spot of the University of Miami.

“The ACC do great 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 procedure,” Bevacqua remarked.

The Hurricanes ultimately received the CFP spot over Notre Dame, largely due to securing the direct meeting between the two teams. Notre Dame's AD also claimed that the ACC ran a coordinated social media push over multiple weeks showing its support for Miami.

A Strong Reaction

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

“My opinion is that his behavior has been egregious,” the commissioner 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.”

The response is particularly significant given Bevacqua’s special standing. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the interests of independent Notre Dame.

Past Context and Future Moves

The commissioner further highlighted the support the ACC provided Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a full conference schedule and a berth in its title game.

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

Talk had spread about Notre Dame possibly leaving the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. Yet, Yormark's public comments on Tuesday appear to make such a move highly improbable in the near term.

Notre Dame, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have indicated they are declining a postseason invitation after failing to qualify this year.