🔗 Share this article Big 12 Conference Commissioner Calls Notre Dame Comments After CFP Snub as ‘Totally Out of Bounds’ During a public criticism, Brett Yormark declared that Notre Dame's AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for recent remarks concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The Source of the Tension The Fighting Irish maintains a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a full member in other sports. The AD has contended that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s opportunities to make the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to advocating for the spot of the University of Miami. “The ACC does wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we bring tremendous football value to the ACC, and we couldn't comprehend why you would make an effort to try to undermine us in this process,” the athletic director said. The Hurricanes eventually secured the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, primarily due to securing the head-to-head matchup between the two programs. Notre Dame's AD additionally stated that the ACC engaged in a coordinated social media campaign over several weeks showing its preference for Miami. An Egregious Response Subsequently on Tuesday, Yormark spoke about the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum. “In my view his behavior has been unacceptable,” the commissioner stated. “He is completely out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the same room, I’d tell him the same thing.” The pushback is especially notable given Bevacqua’s prominent standing. 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 Context and Speculative Rumors Yormark also highlighted the lifeline the ACC offered Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, providing the Irish a complete ACC schedule and a berth in its title game. “It has been unacceptable,” he said again. “It’s been egregious attacking the ACC commissioner, when they saved Notre Dame during Covid...” Speculation had circulated about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. However, Yormark's strong reprimand on Tuesday seem to make such a scenario less likely in the immediate future. The Irish, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have announced they will decline a postseason invitation after missing out this year.