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During a notable criticism, Big 12 Conference commissioner stated that Notre Dame AD, Pete Bevacqua, was “entirely out of bounds” for his comments concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

Root of the Controversy

The Fighting Irish has a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a participating member in all other sports. Bevacqua has argued that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s opportunities to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead campaigning for the inclusion of the University of Miami.

“The ACC do wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we offer significant football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would make an effort to try to undermine us in this selection,” Bevacqua stated.

Miami ultimately earned the CFP spot over Notre Dame, largely due to winning the head-to-head meeting between the two programs. Notre Dame's AD additionally stated that the ACC engaged in a targeted social media campaign over several weeks indicating its preference for Miami.

A Strong Rebuke

Subsequently on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner responded to the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.

“My opinion is that his behavior has been out of line,” the commissioner said. “He is totally out of bounds in his tactics and if he was in the same room, I’d tell him the same thing.”

The pushback 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.

Historical Context and Speculative Rumors

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

“His behavior has been egregious,” he reiterated. “It’s been unacceptable attacking the ACC commissioner, when they rescued Notre Dame during Covid...”

Talk had spread about Notre Dame potentially splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's strong comments on Tuesday appear to make such a partnership less likely in the near term.

The Irish, who made the CFP championship game last season, have announced they are declining a postseason invitation after failing to qualify this season.