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

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

The Source of the Controversy

Notre Dame has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a full member in other sports. Bevacqua has claimed that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s opportunities to enter the College Football Playoff, instead advocating for the selection of the University of Miami.

“They does wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we offer significant football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would make an effort to try to damage us in this procedure,” Bevacqua stated.

Miami eventually secured the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, mostly due to winning the direct contest between the two programs. Notre Dame's AD also claimed that the ACC conducted a targeted social media push over multiple weeks demonstrating its preference for Miami.

A Strong Rebuke

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

“In my view his conduct has been egregious,” Yormark commented. “He is totally out of bounds in his tactics and if he was in the same room, I’d tell him the same thing.”

This public response is particularly significant given Bevacqua’s special role. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the interests of independent Notre Dame.

Historical Support and Future Moves

The commissioner also pointed out the assistance the ACC provided Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a complete ACC schedule and a berth in its title game.

“His behavior has been unacceptable,” he reiterated. “It’s been egregious criticizing Jim Phillips, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”

Rumors had spread about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. Yet, the commissioner's strong comments on Tuesday appear to make such a scenario highly improbable in the near term.

Notre Dame, who made the CFP final last season, have announced they are declining a bowl game after missing out this year.