🔗 Share this article Big 12 Chief Labels Notre Dame Comments After CFP Snub as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’ During a notable criticism, Big 12 Conference commissioner declared that Notre Dame athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for his criticisms targeting the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Root of the Controversy Notre Dame has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a full member in all other sports. The AD has argued that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s chances to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to pushing for the inclusion of the University of Miami. “The ACC do great things for Notre Dame, but we bring tremendous 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 ultimately earned the CFP berth over Notre Dame, primarily due to securing the direct matchup between the two programs. Notre Dame's AD additionally stated that the ACC engaged in a coordinated social media push over several weeks indicating its preference for Miami. A Strong Rebuke Later on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner spoke about the comments at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum. “In my view his behavior has been unacceptable,” 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.” The response is especially significant given Bevacqua’s prominent position. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of football independent Notre Dame. Past Support and Future Rumors The commissioner also remarked the assistance the ACC offered Notre Dame in the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a full ACC schedule and a berth in its championship game. “His behavior has been egregious,” Yormark reiterated. “It’s been egregious attacking the ACC commissioner, when they helped Notre Dame during Covid...” Speculation had circulated about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's pointed comments on Tuesday appear to make such a partnership less likely in the near term. Notre Dame, who reached the CFP final last season, have indicated they plan to decline a bowl game after missing out this season.