Big 12 Conference Chief Calls Notre Dame Comments After CFP Omission as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’

During a strong statement, Big 12 chief declared that Notre Dame AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for public remarks about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

Root of the Tension

The Fighting Irish maintains a football scheduling alliance 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 enter the College Football Playoff, instead advocating 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 process,” Bevacqua stated.

Miami ultimately earned the CFP spot over Notre Dame, mostly due to winning the head-to-head contest between the two schools. Bevacqua also claimed that the ACC engaged in a targeted social media effort over several weeks demonstrating its support for Miami.

A Strong Reaction

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

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

The pushback is especially striking given Bevacqua’s special role. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.

Past Context and Speculative Moves

Yormark further remarked the support the ACC offered Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a full conference schedule and a berth in its championship game.

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

Speculation had circulated about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's strong reprimand on Tuesday seem to make such a move less likely in the near term.

The Irish, who made the CFP final last season, have indicated they are declining a bowl game after failing to qualify this year.