Big 12 Conference Chief Calls Notre Dame Remarks Following CFP Snub as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’

During a notable statement, Big 12 Conference commissioner declared that Notre Dame athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for his comments about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

The Source of the Tension

Notre Dame has a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. Bevacqua has argued that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s bid to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead advocating for the inclusion of the University of Miami.

“The ACC does wonderful 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 process,” Bevacqua remarked.

The Hurricanes eventually secured the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, mostly due to securing the head-to-head meeting between the two schools. Notre Dame's AD also claimed that the ACC conducted a coordinated social media campaign over multiple weeks demonstrating its preference for Miami.

An Egregious Rebuke

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

“I think his behavior has been egregious,” the commissioner commented. “He is totally out of bounds in his method and if he was in the room, I’d tell him the same thing.”

The response is especially striking given Bevacqua’s prominent 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 Support and Speculative Rumors

The commissioner further pointed out the support the ACC provided Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a full ACC schedule and a place in its title game.

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

Speculation had spread about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. Yet, Yormark's public comments on Tuesday seem to make such a move unlikely in the near term.

The Irish, who reached the CFP final last season, have announced they plan to decline a postseason invitation after failing to qualify this season.