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

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

Root of the Dispute

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 hurt Notre Dame’s opportunities to make the College Football Playoff, instead pushing for the selection of the University of Miami.

“The ACC do great things for Notre Dame, but we bring substantial football value to the ACC, and we couldn't comprehend why you would go out of your way to try to damage us in this process,” Bevacqua remarked.

Miami eventually received the CFP berth over Notre Dame, primarily due to winning the direct contest between the two schools. Bevacqua additionally stated that the ACC conducted a coordinated social media push over several weeks indicating its support for Miami.

An Egregious Response

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

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

This public pushback is especially striking given Bevacqua’s prominent role. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the interests of football independent Notre Dame.

Historical Support and Speculative Moves

Yormark further pointed out the assistance the ACC gave Notre Dame during the Covid-affected 2020 season, giving the Irish a complete ACC schedule and a berth in its title game.

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

Talk had circulated about Notre Dame potentially leaving the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. Yet, Yormark's strong comments on Tuesday seem to make such a partnership unlikely in the near term.

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