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At a notable statement, Big 12 Conference commissioner asserted that Notre Dame athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for recent criticisms concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

The Source of the Dispute

Notre Dame maintains a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. The AD has argued that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s bid to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead advocating for the inclusion of the University of Miami.

“The ACC 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 hurt us in this selection,” the athletic director remarked.

The Hurricanes ultimately received the CFP berth over Notre Dame, mostly due to securing the direct contest between the two teams. Notre Dame's AD additionally stated that the ACC ran a coordinated social media campaign 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 conduct has been out of line,” the commissioner stated. “He is totally 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 significant given Bevacqua’s prominent position. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the interests of independent Notre Dame.

Historical Support and Speculative Rumors

The commissioner further highlighted the support the ACC offered Notre Dame in the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a complete ACC schedule and a berth in its championship game.

“It has been egregious,” Yormark said again. “It’s been unacceptable attacking the ACC commissioner, 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 pointed comments on Tuesday seem to make such a scenario highly improbable in the near term.

The Irish, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have indicated they plan to decline a postseason invitation after failing to qualify this season.