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In a public criticism, Big 12 chief declared that Notre Dame athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for his comments concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

The Source of the Controversy

Notre Dame maintains a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a full member in all other sports. The AD has argued that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s chances to make the College Football Playoff, instead advocating for the selection of the University of Miami.

“They do great things for Notre Dame, but we provide significant football value to the ACC, and we couldn't comprehend why you would go out of your way to try to damage us in this selection,” Bevacqua remarked.

Miami eventually earned 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 ran a targeted social media effort over several weeks demonstrating its preference for Miami.

An Egregious Rebuke

Subsequently on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner addressed the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.

“In my view his actions has been egregious,” the commissioner stated. “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 pushback is particularly notable given Bevacqua’s special 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 Context and Speculative Moves

The commissioner also highlighted the assistance the ACC gave Notre Dame in the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a complete conference schedule and a berth in its title game.

“His behavior has been unacceptable,” he reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable criticizing Jim Phillips, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...”

Speculation had spread about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. Yet, Yormark's strong reprimand on Tuesday appear to make such a move highly improbable in the immediate future.

Notre Dame, who made the CFP championship game last season, have announced they plan to decline a postseason invitation after missing out this season.