🔗 Share this article Big 12 Conference Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Remarks After CFP Snub as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’ At a public statement, Big 12 chief declared that Notre Dame AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for public criticisms targeting the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The Source of the Tension The Fighting Irish has a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a full member in other sports. Bevacqua has contended that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s chances to enter the College Football Playoff, instead pushing for the selection of the University of Miami. “They does great things for Notre Dame, but we provide substantial football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would make an effort to try to hurt us in this selection,” Bevacqua said. The Hurricanes ultimately received the CFP berth over Notre Dame, largely due to securing the head-to-head contest between the two schools. Notre Dame's AD also claimed that the ACC conducted a targeted social media push over multiple weeks indicating its preference for Miami. An Egregious Reaction Later on Tuesday, Yormark addressed the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum. “My opinion is that his behavior has been out of line,” the commissioner commented. “He is completely out of bounds in his tactics and if he was in the room, I’d tell him the same thing.” This public response is especially striking given Bevacqua’s unique standing. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the interests of football independent Notre Dame. Historical Support and Future Rumors The commissioner further remarked the lifeline the ACC gave Notre Dame during the Covid-affected 2020 season, giving the Irish a complete ACC schedule and a place in its championship game. “It has been unacceptable,” he reiterated. “It’s been egregious attacking the ACC commissioner, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...” Rumors had spread about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's pointed reprimand on Tuesday seem to make such a scenario unlikely in the immediate future. Notre Dame, who made the CFP final last season, have stated they plan to decline a postseason invitation after failing to qualify this season.