🔗 Share this article Big 12 Commissioner Labels Notre Dame Comments Following CFP Snub as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’ In a public statement, Big 12 chief asserted that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for recent remarks targeting the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Root of the Tension Notre Dame maintains a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. Bevacqua has claimed that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s bid to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead pushing for the inclusion of the University of Miami. “The ACC do wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we provide significant 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 ultimately received the CFP berth over Notre Dame, primarily due to winning the head-to-head contest between the two teams. Bevacqua also claimed that the ACC engaged in a targeted social media push over multiple weeks indicating its preference for Miami. An Egregious Response Subsequently on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner responded to the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum. “In my view his actions has been unacceptable,” the commissioner stated. “He is totally out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the same room, I’d tell him the same thing.” This public response is especially striking given Bevacqua’s prominent position. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of football independent Notre Dame. Historical Support and Future Moves The commissioner further highlighted the lifeline the ACC gave Notre Dame during the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a full ACC schedule and a place in its title game. “His behavior has been unacceptable,” Yormark reiterated. “It’s been egregious attacking Jim Phillips, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...” Rumors had circulated about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's public comments on Tuesday appear to make such a move highly improbable in the immediate future. The Irish, who made the CFP final last season, have indicated they are declining a postseason invitation after failing to qualify this year.