🔗 Share this article

During a public statement, Big 12 Conference commissioner asserted that Notre Dame's athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, was “completely out of bounds” for his criticisms concerning the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

Root of the Controversy

The Fighting Irish maintains a football scheduling alliance with the ACC and is a full member in all other sports. Bevacqua has contended that the ACC actively damaged Notre Dame’s chances to enter the College Football Playoff, instead choosing to pushing for the inclusion of the University of Miami.

“They does wonderful things for Notre Dame, but we offer substantial football value to the ACC, and we didn’t understand why you would make an effort to try to hurt us in this process,” the athletic director said.

Miami ultimately secured the CFP spot over Notre Dame, mostly due to winning the head-to-head matchup between the two schools. Notre Dame's AD additionally stated that the ACC engaged in a coordinated social media campaign over multiple weeks demonstrating its support for Miami.

A Strong Response

Later on Tuesday, the Big 12 commissioner spoke about the criticism at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.

“My opinion is that his conduct has been out of line,” the commissioner stated. “He is totally out of bounds in his approach and if he was in the room, I’d say to him the same thing.”

This public criticism is particularly significant given Bevacqua’s prominent role. He serves on the College Football Playoff Management Committee with the ten FBS conference commissioners, advocating for the interests of football independent Notre Dame.

Historical Support and Speculative Rumors

The commissioner also pointed out the lifeline the ACC provided Notre Dame in the pandemic-disrupted 2020 season, providing the Irish a complete ACC schedule and a berth in its title game.

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

Talk had circulated about Notre Dame possibly splitting with the ACC and aligning with the Big 12. However, the commissioner's strong comments on Tuesday appear to make such a move less likely 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.