🔗 Share this article Big 12 Chief Calls Notre Dame Comments After CFP Snub as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’ At a public rebuke, Big 12 chief stated that Notre Dame's AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for recent comments about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The Source of the Dispute Notre Dame maintains a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in other sports. The AD has claimed that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s chances to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead campaigning for the spot of the University of Miami. “They do wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we bring substantial football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would go out of your way to try to undermine us in this process,” Bevacqua stated. The Hurricanes eventually secured the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, largely due to winning the direct meeting between the two teams. Notre Dame's AD further alleged that the ACC conducted a coordinated social media campaign over multiple weeks demonstrating its preference for Miami. A Strong Response Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark responded to the allegations at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum. “I think his behavior has been egregious,” Yormark said. “He is totally out of bounds in his method and if he was in the same room, I’d say to him the same thing.” The pushback is especially notable given Bevacqua’s unique position. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the concerns of independent Notre Dame. Past Support and Speculative Rumors The commissioner also highlighted the lifeline the ACC offered Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, providing the Irish a full conference schedule and a berth in its championship game. “His behavior has been egregious,” Yormark said again. “It’s been egregious going after Jim Phillips, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...” Speculation had circulated about Notre Dame possibly leaving the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's public comments on Tuesday appear to make such a scenario unlikely in the near term. The Irish, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have stated they are declining a postseason invitation after failing to qualify this season.