Is "Irish Chocolate" Headed to New England?

With the Patriots decision this week to cut nose tackle Vince Woolfork -- did they open the door to taking former Notre Dame student-athlete Louis Nix in the NFL Draft's First Round?  They're talking about it in the Boston media...

LINK:  NIX TO NEW ENGLAND

ESPNW Names Muffet "Coach of the Year"

Notre Dame's Muffet McGraw was named national Coach of the Year for women's college basketball by ESPNW!  I suspect this will be just the first of many such national awards for Muffet and her undefeated Fighting Irish!

Congrats Muffet!

LINK:  ESPNW STORY

Notre Dame Clobbers #2 Boston College

Jeff Jackson's Fighting Irish crushed the #2 ranked Eagles of Boston College last night 7 - 2 in game  of a best-of-three Hockey East Tournament series.  BC scored the game's two first goals, on their home ice, before Notre Dame scored seven unanswered goals. 

The Irish are on a roll at the right time -- eight straight wins -- as they make their case for a NCAA bid.

Game two is played this afternoon -- again in Boston -- at 4 PM ET.  Go Irish!

LINK:  BOSTON HERALD STORY

Notre Dame's "Thunder & Lightning"

PREDICTION:  Notre Dame freshmen Greg "Thunder" Bryant and Tarean "Lightning" Folston (both from Florida) combined with Cam "Superman" McDaniel -- will make up the best three back rotation we've seen in South Bend since the days of Bettis (1st Round Draft Pick), Brooks (2nd Round Draft Pick) and Watters (2nd Round Pick) and we can't forget Culver (4th Round Draft Pick) either...

Should be fun!

Justin Tuck Signs With Oakland Raiders Today

WOW!

The Captain of the New York Football Giants' signed a deal to play for the "BLACK & SILVER" in Oakland.  Tuck leaves the Big Apple for the Black Hole -- never saw this coming...

Tuck, the former Notre Dame All-American, signs a two-year deal for $11 million.  CONGRATS!

LINK:  TUCK A RAIDER

Gates Foundation Gives Notre Dame $23 Million

The wealthiest couple in the world, Bill and Melinda Gates (pictured above) -- through their Foundation -- gave the University of Notre Dame $23 million to fight malaria and dengue fever.  Notre Dame biologists Nicole Achee and Neil Lobo are leaders of this international research effort. 

This represents the second largest research grant ever given to the University of Notre Dame!

See the story below:

LINK:  GATES FOUNDATION

UCONN Back on Muffet's Basketball Schedule

The only two undefeated women's college basketball teams going into the NCAA Tournament -- obviously, didn't play this season...

That changes for certain -- December 6th when UCONN travels to Notre Dame to renew their rivalry.  Now, they might just meet in Nashville in April!

LINK:  GENO vs. MUFFET -- AGAIN!

Golden Tate's Lions' Signing Press Conference

Former Notre Dame All-American Golden Tate left his Super Bowl Champion teammates in Seattle today -- signing a five year contract with the Detroit Lions.  Here's a link to his press conference:

LINK:  GOLDEN TATE

Golden Tate Agrees to Deal With Detroit Lions!

In the past few minutes, the story is breaking that former Notre Dame All-American and Super Bowl Champion Golden Tate has agreed to a five-year $31 MILLION DOLLAR ($13.25 million guaranteed) contract with the Detroit Lions.

Here's what is being reported:

LINK:  TATE TO LIONS

LINK:  SEAHAWKS BLOG 

LINK:  ESPN STORY 

LINK:  DETROIT FREE PRESS

LINK:  DETROIT NEWS

LINK:  SEATTLE TIMES

ND vs. Wake Forest -- ACC Tourney on ESPN2

The Fighting Irish play the Demon Deacons this afternoon at 1 PM ET on ESPN2.  Here are the game notes:

LINK:  GAME NOTES

The Weather Channel's "Snowiest Universities"

It is Tuesday, March 11th -- and within 24 hours we're expecting as much as 8" or more of new snow here on the campus of the University of Notre Dame.

What a winter it has been.

Leave it to the folks at the Weather Channel to come up with a list of the "snowiest universities" in America.  Not surprisingly, Notre Dame is on that list.  Click on the link below to see where we ended up.

LINK:  NOTRE DAME IS ON THE LIST

Notre Dame's Innovation Park in the News...

In less than five years -- sixty-two companies have launched inside the walls of Notre Dame's Innovation Park.  Pretty impressive!

The South Bend Tribune's Kevin Allen caught up with Notre Dame's Dave Benner -- to talk about the impact Innovation Park has had on the South Bend community.

LINK:  INNOVATION PARK

ACC Tournament Champions! Celebration!

The folks at Fighting Irish Digital Media bring this inside look at Notre Dame's post game celebration after yesterday's ACC Tournament Championship win!

LINK:  NOTRE DAME VICTORY

Cutting Down the Nets -- a Notre Dame Tradition

Kayla McBride scored 25 today in Notre Dame's 68 - 53 win over Duke to win the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament championship!

Replay of Jewell Loyd's "Jewelly-oop" vs. Duke

Here's the television replay of Lindsay Allen's alley-oop pass to Jewell Loyd in Notre Dame's 69 - 53 win today in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament championship game!  Loyd was named the ACC Tournament MVP!

LINK:  JEWELLY-OOP

ND Beats Duke -- ACC Tournament Champs!!!

Muffet's Fighting Irish overcame a lack luster first half to pull away and beat #10 Duke by a score of 69 - 53.  Jewell Loyd and Kayla McBride combined for 51 points -- just two shy of the entire Blue Devils team.

The win leaves Notre Dame 32 - 0 -- with a couple of trophies from the Atlantic Coast Conference in their inaugural season.  Now it's NCAA Tournament time!  GO IRISH!

LINK:  GAME HIGHLIGHTS

LINK:  ESPN GAME RECAP

Cardinal Timothy Dolan "Meets the Press"

I always enjoy watching Cardinal Dolan handle the media.  Here's his interview today with NBC's Meet The Press' David Gregory:

LINK:  CARDINAL DOLAN

NCAA Considering Football Early Signing Date

This would be a great thing!  Why am I not surprised the SEC football coaches are against this idea...

LINK:  EARLY SIGNING PERIOD

Notre Dame Goes for ACC Tourney Title Today!

Muffet's Fighting Irish play Duke this evening for the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament title.  The game tips off at 7 PM ET on ESPN -- GO IRISH!

LINK:  ACC NETWORK -- GAME PREVIEW

LINK:  ESPN PREVIEW

LINK:  DUKE COACH TALKS NOTRE DAME

LINK:  GAME NOTES

Did You Rember to Set Your Clocks Forward?

A public service reminder from the ND GO IRISH BLOG.