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At a notable statement, Brett Yormark declared that Notre Dame athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for public criticisms about the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

Root of the Controversy

The Fighting Irish has a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. The AD has argued that the ACC harmed Notre Dame’s chances to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead advocating for the spot of the University of Miami.

“The ACC does wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we offer tremendous 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 procedure,” Bevacqua said.

Miami eventually secured the CFP berth over Notre Dame, mostly due to winning the head-to-head contest between the two schools. Bevacqua further alleged that the ACC ran a coordinated social media campaign over several weeks showing its support for Miami.

A Strong Rebuke

Later on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner responded to the comments 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 method and if he was in the room, I’d tell him the same thing.”

The criticism is particularly striking given Bevacqua’s special position. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee alongside the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.

Past Support and Speculative Rumors

The commissioner also remarked the lifeline the ACC gave Notre Dame during the Covid-affected 2020 season, providing the Irish a full conference schedule and a berth in its championship game.

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

Talk had circulated about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and partnering with the Big 12. Yet, Yormark's strong reprimand on Tuesday appear to make such a scenario unlikely in the near term.

Notre Dame, who reached the CFP championship game last season, have stated they plan to decline a postseason invitation after failing to qualify this year.