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In a strong statement, Brett Yormark stated that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “totally out of bounds” for recent remarks concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

The Source of the Tension

Notre Dame maintains a gridiron scheduling agreement with the ACC and is a full member in other sports. Bevacqua has contended that the ACC hurt Notre Dame’s opportunities to qualify for the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to advocating for the inclusion of the University of Miami.

“They do great things for Notre Dame, but we bring significant football value to the ACC, and we couldn't comprehend why you would go out of your way to try to hurt us in this selection,” the athletic director remarked.

The Hurricanes eventually secured the CFP invitation over Notre Dame, largely due to securing the direct meeting between the two teams. Notre Dame's AD additionally stated that the ACC ran a coordinated social media push over multiple weeks showing its support for Miami.

An Egregious Response

Subsequently 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,” Yormark said. “He is completely out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the same room, I’d tell him the same thing.”

This public response is particularly striking given Bevacqua’s prominent role. He sits on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, representing the concerns of football independent Notre Dame.

Past Context and Future Moves

The commissioner further pointed out the lifeline the ACC provided Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, giving the Irish a full ACC schedule and a place 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 possibly leaving the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. Yet, Yormark's pointed reprimand on Tuesday seem to make such a move unlikely in the near term.

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