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

At a public rebuke, Big 12 Conference commissioner stated that Notre Dame AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for public remarks concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

The Source of the Dispute

The Fighting Irish maintains a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a full member in other sports. The AD has contended that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s opportunities to enter the College Football Playoff, instead campaigning for the inclusion of the University of Miami.

“The ACC do great things for Notre Dame, but we bring tremendous football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would go out of your way to try to damage us in this selection,” the athletic director stated.

Miami eventually secured the CFP berth over Notre Dame, largely due to winning the head-to-head matchup between the two programs. Notre Dame's AD also claimed that the ACC conducted a targeted social media effort over multiple weeks demonstrating its preference for Miami.

An Egregious Reaction

Later on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner addressed the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.

“In my view his behavior has been unacceptable,” Yormark said. “He is completely out of bounds in his method and if he was in the room, I’d tell him the same thing.”

The response is particularly striking given Bevacqua’s prominent standing. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the interests of independent Notre Dame.

Past Context and Speculative Rumors

The commissioner further remarked the lifeline the ACC gave Notre Dame in the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a full conference schedule and a berth in its title game.

“It has been egregious,” Yormark reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable going after Jim Phillips, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...”

Rumors had spread about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, Yormark's strong reprimand on Tuesday appear to make such a scenario unlikely in the immediate future.

The Irish, who reached the CFP final last season, have indicated they plan to decline a postseason invitation after missing out this year.