🔗 Share this article Big 12 Chief Calls Notre Dame Comments After CFP Snub as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’ During a notable rebuke, Big 12 Conference commissioner asserted that Notre Dame AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for his remarks about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The Source of the Dispute The Fighting Irish has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in other sports. Bevacqua has argued that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s chances to make the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to pushing for the inclusion of the University of Miami. “They does great things for Notre Dame, but we offer 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 procedure,” the athletic director stated. Miami eventually secured the CFP spot over Notre Dame, largely due to winning the direct matchup between the two schools. Bevacqua also claimed that the ACC engaged in a coordinated social media effort over several weeks demonstrating its preference for Miami. A Strong Reaction Later on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner responded to the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum. “My opinion is that his behavior has been unacceptable,” the commissioner stated. “He is completely out of bounds in his method and if he was in the same room, I’d say to him the same thing.” This public pushback is especially notable given Bevacqua’s prominent role. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of football independent Notre Dame. Historical Context and Speculative Rumors Yormark further highlighted the support the ACC provided Notre Dame during the Covid-affected 2020 season, giving the Irish a full ACC schedule and a berth in its title game. “His behavior has been egregious,” Yormark reiterated. “It’s been egregious attacking the ACC commissioner, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...” Rumors had circulated about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, Yormark's public comments on Tuesday appear to make such a move highly improbable in the near term. The Irish, who made the CFP final last season, have stated they are declining a bowl game after failing to qualify this year.