🔗 Share this article Big 12 Conference Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Remarks Following CFP Omission as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’ In a strong rebuke, Big 12 Conference commissioner asserted that Notre Dame athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for his remarks about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The Source of the Tension The Fighting Irish has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in other sports. The AD has argued that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s chances to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to campaigning for the spot of the University of Miami. “The ACC do wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we provide tremendous football value to the ACC, and we couldn't comprehend why you would make an effort to try to hurt us in this process,” the athletic director stated. The Hurricanes eventually received the CFP berth over Notre Dame, primarily due to winning the head-to-head meeting between the two schools. Notre Dame's AD further alleged that the ACC conducted a targeted social media push over several weeks showing its support for Miami. An Egregious Rebuke Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark spoke about the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum. “In my view his actions has been egregious,” the commissioner said. “He is totally out of bounds in his method and if he was in the room, I’d say to him the same thing.” The criticism is especially significant given Bevacqua’s special standing. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the interests of football independent Notre Dame. Past Support and Future Rumors The commissioner further highlighted the lifeline the ACC offered Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, providing the Irish a full conference schedule and a place in its title game. “His behavior has been egregious,” he said again. “It’s been egregious criticizing the ACC commissioner, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...” Rumors had circulated about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's strong reprimand on Tuesday appear to make such a move less likely in the near term. Notre Dame, who reached the CFP final last season, have stated they are declining a bowl game after failing to qualify this season.