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

At a strong rebuke, Big 12 Conference commissioner stated that Notre Dame AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for his comments targeting 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 all other sports. The AD has claimed that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s chances to make the College Football Playoff, instead campaigning for the spot of the University of Miami.

“The ACC does great things for Notre Dame, but we bring substantial 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 procedure,” the athletic director said.

The Hurricanes eventually earned the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, largely due to winning the direct meeting between the two teams. Bevacqua additionally stated that the ACC ran a coordinated social media campaign over multiple weeks indicating its support for Miami.

A Strong Rebuke

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

“I think his conduct has been out of line,” the commissioner commented. “He is completely out of bounds in his tactics and if he was in the room, I’d say to him the same thing.”

The response is especially notable given Bevacqua’s prominent position. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the interests of independent Notre Dame.

Historical Context and Speculative Moves

The commissioner further pointed out the lifeline the ACC provided Notre Dame during the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a full ACC schedule and a place in its championship game.

“It has been unacceptable,” Yormark said again. “It’s been unacceptable going after Jim Phillips, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”

Rumors had circulated about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. Yet, the commissioner's public reprimand on Tuesday seem to make such a scenario unlikely in the immediate future.

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