Coach Kelly's Spring Practice Press Conference

Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly met with the media, this morning, for the first time since National Signing Day to talk about the upcoming Spring Practice schedule and some position changes...

Here's a link to the replay:

LINK:  BRIAN KELLY PRESSER

Muffet McGraw Coaches Game #1,000 Tonight!

Notre Dame's Hall of Fame coach Muffet McGraw coached her 1,000th game tonight as her Fighting Irish "hung a hundred" on the Tarheels from North Carolina!  Final score:  #2 Notre Dame 100 -- #15 North Carolina 75. 

This was the eighth win this season for Notre Dame against a ranked opponent!  Notre Dame is now 28 - 0 on the season and have won 51 straight regular season games!!!

Muffet's career record:  742 - 258 -- with 654 of those wins coming during her 27 seasons at Notre Dame!

Here's what the media has to say about tonight's win:

LINK:  ESPN

LINK:  ASSOCIATED PRESS

Didn't Take NFL Long to Discover Louis Nix III

Former Notre Dame nose tackle Louis Nix III has been featured a number of times the past few days in stories created by the NFL Network...

LINK:  JOB INTERVIEW

Notre Dame's Campus Crossroads Project...

Here is a Notre Dame Law School alum's perspective of the University's plans to incorporate academic and student focused space into the footprint of Notre Dame Stadium.

The University of Notre Dame's VP, Office of Public Affairs & Communications -- Paul Browne, authored this VIEWPOINT in today's Observer (Notre Dame's student run daily newspaper).  I thought you'd enjoy reading this.

LINK:  CAMPUS CROSSROADS PROJECT

Coach Brey Wins Game #300 at Notre Dame!

The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame beat Georgia Tech tonight by the score of 65 - 62 as the "Wrambling Wreck" missed a flurry of three pointers in the closing seconds!

The win put Coach Brey's career record at Notre Dame to 300 wins and 156 losses in his 14th season in South Bend.  Here's how Coach Brey stacks up on the all-time win list at ND:

1. Digger Phelps:  393 - 197
2. George Keogan:  327 - 97
3. Mike Brey:  300 - 156

If you missed the game -- click on the link below to the full game replay:

LINK:  GAME REPLAY

Notre Dame Players -- NFL Combine Results

The 2014 NFL Scouting Combine came to an end this afternoon in Indianapolis with the defensive backs going through their paces.  Here's a look back at the work product of the nine former Notre Dame football players at the Combine -- overall it was quite outstanding!

Just click on the player's name to see the details of their performance at the NFL SCOUTING COMBINE -- please note that Chris Watt did not run a 40 yard dash in Indy this past weekend.  However, they have a "phantom" time for him on his profile.  Just goes to prove you can't trust the internet!!!  :)

LINK:  GEORGE ATKINSON III

LINK:  ZACK MARTIN

LINK:  BENNETT JACKSON

LINK:  T.J. JONES

LINK:  TROY NIKLAS

LINK:  LOUIS NIX III

LINK:  PRINCE SHEMBO

LINK:  STEPHON TUITT

LINK:  CHRIS WATT

Replay of Nix's 40 Yard Dash -- NFL Combine

"Irish Chocolate" strutted his stuff today in front of NFL scouts in Indianapolis.  Here is the NFL Network's replay of Louis' 40 yard dash.  His official time was 5.42 seconds.

LINK:  LOUIS NIX'S 40

Louis Nix's Broad Jump Replay -- NFL Combine

Louis will never hear the end of this from his buddies at Notre Dame and I'm sure his future NFL teammates...  Click on the link below:

LINK:  REPLAY OF BROAD JUMP

Louis Nix III Meets With the NFL Media Today

Irish Chocolate met with the assembled media today at the NFL SCOUTING COMBINE.  You're going to want to watch this...

LINK:  IRISH CHOCOLATE GOES NFL

40 Yard Times: ND Players at NFL Combine

The NFL Scouting Combine rolls on this morning from Indianapolis with the offensive lineman running their 40 yard dash times.  You'll find all the 40 times for the nine former Notre Dame student-athletes updated below -- as they run them over the next few days:

• Zack Martin:  did not run
• Chris Watt:  did not run
• Troy Niklas:  did not run
• Prince Shembo:  4.71 seconds
• T.J. Jones:  4.48 seconds
• George Atkinson III:  4.48 seconds (T-6th fastest at position)
• Bennett Jackson:  4.51 seconds
• Louis Nix:  5.42 seconds
• Stephon Tuitt:  did not run

ACC Regular Season Champs -- 50 Straight!!!

The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame jumped off to a 20 - 2 start in front of a full-house and a national TV audience on ESPN as they cruised to a 81 - 70 win over #7 Duke.   The win clinched the ACC Championship for the regular season in Notre Dame's first season!

For those that are counting, that's 27 - 0 on the season and FIFTY STRAIGHT REGULAR SEASON WINS!

Notre Dame All-American Kayla McBride poured in a career-high 31 points to lead the IRISH!

LINK:  IRISH CONNECTION

LINK:  GAME HIGHLIGHTS

LINK:  GAME RECAP

Muffet's #2 IRISH vs. #7 Duke on ESPN Today!

The undefeated Fighting Irish of Notre Dame play the Duke Blue Devils today on ESPN -- 1 PM ET tip-off! 

A win today and the IRISH will have won 50 straight regular season games!

Here's the media notes:

LINK:  MEDIA NOTES

Emma Reaney Sets New American Record!

WOW!!!

Notre Dame junior Emma Reaney set a new American, NCAA and U.S. Open record time tonight in the 200 Breast of 2:04.34 at the Atlantic Coast Championships.  The previous record was set in 2012 by Breeja Larson of Texas A&M.

This is an incredible feat!!!

LINK:  ACC INTERVIEW

LINK:  REANEY FASTEST AMERICAN OF ALL-TIME!

Pope Installs Notre Dame Alum a Cardinal

Pope Francis installed nineteen Cardinals today, including University of Notre Dame alum Archbishop Kelvin Edward Felix, in a consistory ceremony at St. Peter's Basilica.  Cardinal Felix earned a masters degree in 1969 from Notre Dame.

LINK:  POPE FRANCIS APPOINTS 19

LINK:  CARDINAL FELIX

White Sox Player & Notre Dame's Grotto...

Matt Davidson who should be the Chicago White Sox's third baseman this April -- played the 2010 season for the South Bend Silverhawks.  He recently admitted when he struggled that season he made the trek to the Notre Dame campus to seek solace at the Grotto.

Here's the story:

LINK:  THE GROTTO

Seattle Seahawks GM: "Golden Tate #1 Priority"

Former Notre Dame All-American and now Super Bowl Champion Golden Tate is a free agent -- but, word on the street is he's wiling to accept less from the Seahawks to stay in Seattle...

Here's the story:

LINK:  GOLDEN TATE

Bench Press Results: ND Players NFL Combine

We will keep track of all of the Bench Press totals for the nine former Notre Dame student-athletes at the NFL Scouting Combine.  Here are the number of times they bench pressed 225 lbs:

• Stephon Tuitt:  31 reps -- 6th best among DL
• Chris Watt:  29 reps -- 11th best among OL
• Zack Martin:  29 reps -- 11th best among OL
• Troy Niklas:  27 reps -- 4th best among OL
• Prince Shembo:  26 reps -- 6th best among LB's
• George Atkinson III:  19 reps
• Louis Nix:  did not lift
• Bennett Jackson:  13 reps
• T.J. Jones: did not lift

Chris Watt's NFL Scouting Combine Presser

Former Notre Dame student-athlete Chris Watt '13 met with the media yesterday at the NFL Scouting Combine.  You'll hear him talk about a possible position switch in the NFL.

LINK:  CHRIS WATT

Troy Niklas Begins His NFL Scouting Combine

First up today for former Notre Dame student-athlete Troy Niklas at the NFL Scouting Combine was the Bench Press and he finished fourth among the Tight Ends with 27 reps of 225 lbs.  Here were some of his other measurables:

• Height:  6'-6"
• Arm Length:  34 1/8"
• Weight:  270 lbs.

LINK:  TROY NIKLAS

Zack Martin "Will Impress With Intangibles"

The NFL Scouting Combine will be dominating the ND GO IRISH BLOG for the next five days as nine former Notre Dame student-athletes will be looking to impress the NFL scouts in Indianapolis. 

Here's a story that features Notre Dame offensive tackle Zack Martin as one of "five" who will "impress with intangibles:"

LINK:  ZACK MARTIN

NFL Network Feature on "Irish Chocolate"

He's one of a kind...

Former Notre Dame student-athlete Louis Nix III had the NFL NETWORK cameras following him as he prepares for this weekend's NFL SCOUTING COMBINE.

You're going to want to watch this!

LINK:  IRISH CHOCOLATE

Update: Under Armour's Stock Performance...

When Notre Dame's announced that they had agreed to a ten-year agreement with Under Armour -- that included a stock option -- Under Armour's stock was at $81.95 a share.  30 days later the stock has increased to $107.06 a share at today's close.  A 31% increase in the value of this company!

Bottom Line:  Under Armour's market cap has gone up more than $2.3 Billion since the Notre Dame deal was announced thirty days ago!

Here was Under Armour's CEO Kevin Plank talking about their deal with Notre Dame on CNBC -- click on the link below:

LINK:  KEVIN PLANK ON CNBC

LINK:  UNDER ARMOUR MARKET-CAP

Florida Gators' Starting Safety Transfers to ND!

Head football coach Brian Kelly made it official this afternoon -- Cody Riggs will be transferring to the University of Notre Dame upon his graduation from the University of Florida.  Griggs, who has started 26 games during his time in Gainesville -- has a fifth year of eligibility that will be spent wearing a GOLD HELMET this Fall as a Notre Dame grad student!

Here are some of the stories about Rigg's transfer:

LINK:  ESPN STORY

LINK:  YAHOO! SPORTS STORY

LINK:  GATOR SPORTS

ND Men's Tennis Beats #12 Florida 4 - 0 !!!

Ryan Sachire's 16th ranked Fighting Irish are making quite an impression on the top ranked tennis programs in the country.  In the past few weeks Notre Dame has four wins over teams ranked in the Top-20! 

In less than 24 hours (this weekend) they beat the #9 ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs and the 12th ranked Florida Gators at the ITA National Indoor Championships.

LINK:  NOTRE DAME BEATS FLORIDA

LINK:  MEN'S COLLEGE TENNIS RANKINGS

Skylar Diggins' SI Swimsuit Issue Photo Shoot!

Former Notre Dame All-American Skylar Diggins can now add another line to her resume -- Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Model.  Diggins (in the photo above) is included in the 2014 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.

Here's a link to Skylar's SI photo shoot:

LINK:  SKYLAR'S PHOTO SHOOT

Former ND Staffer Resigns From Diaco's Staff

Ernest Jones, a former member of Brian Kelly's staff at Notre Dame has resigned from his coaching position at UCONN.  Here's the story:

LINK:  JONES RESIGNATION

#5 Notre Dame Routs Jacksonville 19 - 7 !!!

Notre Dame's Men's Lacrosse team hammered the Dolphins of Jacksonville University 19 - 7 tonight on the NBC Sports Network.  The fifth ranked Fighting Irish were in complete control.  Impressive win!

LINK:  GAME HIGHLIGHTS

First Ever ACC Road Win for ND Men's Hoops!

Mike Brey's Fighting Irish won their first ever Atlantic Coast Conference game this evening at Boston College as Notre Dame won 73 - 69 to go 15 - 12 on the season. 

Congrats!

LINK:  GAME HIGHLIGHTS

LINK:  BOSTON HERALD

LINK:  NOTRE DAME'S FIRST!

Notre Dame Lacrosse on NBCSN at 7 PM ET

Kevin Corrigan's #5 ranked Fighting Irish of Notre Dame kick off their 2014 season on the NBC Sports Network this evening at 7 PM ET.  They are playing Jacksonville University. 

Click on the link below for media notes:

LINK:  LACROSSE BEGINS SEASON TONIGHT

Mike Brey's Irish on ESPNU at 6 PM ET Today!

The Fighting Irish are on the east coast playing the Boston College Eagles tonight at 6 PM ET on ESPNU.  Notre Dame is 13 - 12 with an OT win already over BC who is 6 - 18 on the season.

Mike Brey is looking for his first win on the road versus an ACC foe.  Here's a link to the media notes for tonight's game:

LINK:  MEDIA NOTES

Sachire's IRISH Beat #9 Mississippi State

The #16 Notre Dame's Men's Tennis team now has three wins over ranked opponents!  Tonight, the Fighting Irish beat the #9 ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs 4 - 1 at the ITA National Indoor Championships!!!

This comes on the heels of their match last night against #1 Virginia -- where the Irish became the first team to score points on the Cavaliers this season -- losing 4 - 2.

The IRISH are now 8 - 2 on the season!

Opening Day: Fighting Irish Beat #24 FAU

Mik Aoki's Notre Dame baseball team played their first game of the season today in sunny Florida and the IRISH beat #24 ranked Florida Atlantic University 9 - 2!

Big win for Notre Dame!

LINK:  GAME STORY

Chris Watt and Zack Martin Posing at IMG !!!

The former "left side" of the Notre Dame offensive line has been training in Bradenton, FL the past six weeks at the IMG ACADEMY -- getting ready for next Saturday's NFL SCOUTING COMBINE in Indianapolis.

That's Zack and Chris in the photo above -- 2nd and 3rd from the left on the back row...

OT: Mother Nature's Antarctica Ice Show!

This photo wasn't taken in Lake Huron -- it was taken in Antarctica!  It just goes to prove you can't trust everything you read on FACEBOOK!  Thanks for all of the ND GO IRISH BLOG followers who set me straight!

It's still INCREDIBLE!

Muffet's IRISH Receive #1 RPI Ranking !!!

When you play the schedule the Fighting Irish have -- with four wins ON THE ROAD against teams ranked in the TOP TEN -- you earn a #1 RPI Ranking! 

Click on the link below:

LINK:  RPI RANKING #1

Skylar Diggins' 2014 NBA All-Star Weekend

Former Notre Dame All-American Skylar Diggins played this evening in the NBA All-Star Weekend Celebrity Game in New Orleans...

Skylar led her EAST team to the 60 - 56 win!

You'll want to watch Skylar and Kevin Hart's interview -- click on link below.

LINK:  KEVIN HART AND SKYLAR INTERVIEW

LINK:  GAME STORY

LINK:  KEVIN HART CHASES DOWN SKYLAR

Never Before! Fighting Irish Go 24 - 0 Tonight!

For the very first time in school history, Muffet's Notre Dame Fighting Irish start a season with 24 straight wins after beating Boston College on the road 82 - 61.

The Irish, one of only two teams still undefeated in women's college basketball, have now won 47 straight regular season games!

LINK:  GAME HIGHLIGHTS

LINK:  BOX SCORE

NFL Mock Draft Has 3 ND Guys in First 24 Picks

This NFL mock draft has three former Notre Dame student-athletes going among the first 24 players taken in the 2014 NFL Draft.  Click on the link below to see who they are and where they might be playing:

LINK:  DOMERS GALORE

NCAA to Slow Down the Irish Offense in 2014?

There are some new rule changes that are being considered by the NCAA Football Rules Committee that might prohibit the Fighting Irish from going to an up-tempo offense...

The spin on this is "fewer plays in a game -- fewer injuries."  Here's what is being proposed:

LINK:  SLOWING DOWN FOOTBALL

Always Wanted this Young Man at Notre Dame

If you're a fan of talent -- you must read this story about former Florida State football player Myron Rolle.  He was a "five-star" recruit on the football field and a "five-star" recruit in the classroom -- always hoped he would end up playing for the Fighting Irish.

I had lost track of this young man when he went off to Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar.

You'll want to read this story:

LINK:  MYRON ROLLE

#4 Ranked Notre Dame Men's Lacrosse Preview

Kevin Corrigan's Fighting Irish kick off their 2014 season this weekend with a televised game.  This Sunday at 7 PM ET the Irish play Jacksonville University -- in the sunshine of northern Florida -- on the NBC Sports Network.

To learn more about this year's team -- click on the link below:

LINK:  LACROSSE PREVIEW

ND Goalie Up for Hockey Humanitarian Award

Notre Dame student-athlete Joe Rogers -- we shared his story this past week -- is one of five finalists for the BNY Mellon Wealth Management Hockey Humanitarian Award.

Here's a link to the story:

LINK:  ROGERS A FINALIST

Most Beautiful College Cathedral in the World!

The most beautiful college cathedral in the world -- resides in northern Indiana!

LINK:  WORLD'S MOST BEAUTIFUL!

Lady Irish are Now 23 - 0 -- Win 46th Straight!

Muffet McGraw's #2 ranked Fighting Irish are now 23 - 0 on the season -- matching the greatest start to a regular season in school history.  They've also won 46 straight regular season games...

The latest victim Syracuse -- whom the Irish beat 101 - 64.  See the highlights below -- along with a link to the post game press conference:

LINK:  GAME HIGHLIGHTS

LINK:  POST GAME PRESSER

Kelly Finished Tied for 46th at Pebble Beach

Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly and his PGA Tour partner Michael Thompson (Alabama grad) finished in a tie for 46th at this weekend's AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.  There's a link to the final scoreboard below.

Michael Thompson finished in 19th place with a -3 -- meaning Coach Kelly contributed 10 strokes to their -13 team score for the tournament.

LINK:  AT&T PEBBLE BEACH NATIONAL PRO-AM

Quick Interview with ND QB Everett Golson

Notre Dame student-athlete Everett Golson was interviewed this weekend while watching the Irish track team compete at the Meyo Invitational.  Here's a link:

LINK:  EVERETT GOLSON

#4 ND Women's Fencing Beats #6 Penn State

Now, I'm willing to bet that there are very few ND GO IRISH BLOG followers who have ever attended a fencing competition.  So, here's a little treat from our friends at Fighting Irish Digital Media.

Yesterday's competition between #4 Notre Dame and #6 Penn State came down to the very last match -- here's the winning point -- in front of the largest crowd ever to watch a fencing competition at ND.

LINK:  NOTRE DAME WINS!

LINK:  WOMEN'S RANKINGS

Samardzija Signs One-Year $5.3 Million Deal

The Chicago Cubs came to terms yesterday afternoon with former Notre Dame All-American wide receiver Jeff Samardzija, on a one-year deal worth $5,345,000 -- avoiding arbitration.

Jeff was seeking $6.2 million and the Cubs were offering $4.4 million -- they split the difference.

With this contract -- Samardzija will have earned $15,345,000 in his first six years in professional baseball.

Now, when you consider the average length of an NFL career for a wide receiver is 2.91 years -- you'll know why Jeff is smiling in this photograph!  He made a great decision!

Samardzija finished fourth in the National League last year with 214 strikeouts in 213 innings pitched.  Here's how he stacked up in a number of other pitching categories in the National League last season:

• Games Started -- tied for second with 33 starts
• Innings Pitched -- fifth place with 213.2 innings
• Complete Games -- tied for fifth place with 2

Congratulations Jeff!

LINK:  SAMARDZIJA AND CUBS AGREE

Muffet's Irish: 4 Road Wins Over Top Ten Teams

How's this been for a schedule!

Notre Dame has played four teams currently in the TOP TEN in both women's college basketball polls and all four games have been on the ROAD...

• Notre Dame 77 -- #9 Penn State 67
• Notre Dame 86 -- #8 Tennessee 70
• Notre Dame 87 -- #10 Maryland 83
• Notre Dame 88 -- #5 Duke 67

LINK:  WOMEN'S BASKETBALL RANKINGS