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

In a notable criticism, Big 12 Conference commissioner declared that Notre Dame athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for his criticisms targeting the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

The Source of the Tension

The Fighting Irish has a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a participating member in other sports. The AD has claimed that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s chances to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead pushing for the selection of the University of Miami.

“They do wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we bring significant football value to the ACC, and we couldn't comprehend why you would go out of your way to try to hurt us in this selection,” the athletic director remarked.

Miami eventually secured the CFP spot over Notre Dame, primarily due to securing the direct contest between the two schools. Notre Dame's AD also claimed that the ACC ran a coordinated social media push over multiple weeks demonstrating its preference for Miami.

An Egregious Rebuke

Later on Tuesday, Yormark responded to the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.

“My opinion is that his behavior has been out of line,” the commissioner commented. “He is completely out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the same room, I’d tell him the same thing.”

This public criticism is especially significant given Bevacqua’s special standing. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the concerns of independent Notre Dame.

Past Support and Speculative Rumors

Yormark further highlighted the lifeline the ACC offered Notre Dame during the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a full ACC schedule and a berth in its title game.

“His behavior has been unacceptable,” he said again. “It’s been unacceptable attacking Jim Phillips, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”

Speculation had spread about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. However, Yormark's strong comments on Tuesday seem to make such a scenario less likely in the near term.

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