Just got off the phone with the Notre Dame ticket office and learned that tickets are still available for the following games: Western Michigan & Tulsa (pairs together) and single tickets for the Pittsburgh and Utah games. To see the Irish play - call this number: 574.631.7356 to speak with the Notre Dame Ticket Office. If you've ever dreamed about seeing the Fighting Irish in Notre Dame Stadium - here's your chance! Tickets are $70 each.
Here's a link to Coach Kelly's press conference last night after practice -- his last time with the media before Saturday night's game against Michigan State. You'll hear some great news on the health of Defensive Line and Special Teams coach, Mike Elston -- and what Coach thinks about his Irish:
The Seattle Seahawks drafted Golden Tate 60th overall in the 2nd round of the 2010 NFL Draft. The former Biletnikoff Award winner, from Notre Dame, left school early to pursue a professional career which started "officially" this past Sunday. Unfortunately for Golden, he was standing on the sidelines in street clothes, watching four other Seahawk receivers make catches in Seattle's 31-7 win over the San Francisco 49'ers. In the NFL, only 45 of the 53 players on the roster are ruled "active" for each game - and Golden wasn't activated for their first game. Yesterday's Seattle Times did a story on what's keeping Golden on the sidelines -- and it makes you wonder would he have been better off with one more year at Notre Dame? Remember Coach Kelly's comments about Michael Floyd's lack of route running skills? Here's a link to the article:
George Atkinson played 11 years in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders. The former defensive back / punt returner was a member of their Super Bowl XI championship team. He's fifth all-time for the Raiders with 30 career interceptions and set their single game record for most punt return yards with 205 in one game! So, he knows a little about football. This past week his twin sons; George III and Josh committed to play football next year at Notre Dame -- and a local radio station tracked George down to ask him about his boys and "why Notre Dame?" I believe you'll enjoy his response. When you get to the web page, scroll down to the bottom and look for the link to the interview:
The promotional people at Cooper Tires sent the ND GO IRISH BLOG a note asking if we would be willing to let Notre Dame fans know about their Ultimate Bowl Tour Challenge. It sounds like something we'd like to win -- so here it is: This college football season Cooper Tires is awarding the most driven fan with a once-in-a-lifetime trip to attend five of the biggest BCS bowl games including the Rose Bowl, Orange Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Cotton Bowl, and the National Championship Game. The winner of the Copper Tires Ultimate Bowl Tour and three very lucky friends will be whisked away on a private jet, making stops in Pasadena, Miami, New Orleans, Dallas and Glendale, AZ. I say Notre Dame fans would look great in that private jet wearing our blue & gold at every Bowl Game! Here's the link to play:
Now, that's not what they call this position anymore. The official title is Associate Vice President for Undergraduate Admissions -- and the person 'soon to be sitting' in that office at Notre Dame is Donald Bishop. Bishop was announced yesterday as the replacement for the retired Dan Saracino -- effective December 1st. He's a former ND grad, Class of 1977, who previously worked for eight years in Notre Dame's Admissions department before stints at Cornell, Creighton, Ohio Weleyan and Embry Riddle. So, if you want to get your son or daughter into Notre Dame -- it will be his team making those decisions starting this December!
This past Saturday, the University of Notre Dame's President; Rev. John Jenkins, presided over a ceremony to bless and dedicate the Compton Family Center -- the future home of the Irish Hockey program. "The Compton" is named after Kevin and Gayla Compton, who also happen to be the owners of the NHL's San Jose Sharks. Kevin and Gayla made a generous lead gift to Notre Dame to fund what is being called by some as college hockey's "Cathedral." The $53 million structure, which opens in October 2011 -- will immediately become the finest college hockey facility in the world. Here's a few links to a number of architectural renderings of this world-class facility:
Folks, Gregg Easterbrook's blog post at ESPN today -- is something you need to keep in your back pocket (if/when) the subject of "student-athlete" ever comes up with your friends in the; Big Ten, SEC, ACC, Pac 10, Big 12, WAC, etc. You'll find near the end of Easterbrook's lengthy blog post -- a story about Notre Dame football player Chris Stewart. Stewart is a Law Student at the University of Notre Dame -- who just happens to be a starting offensive lineman. You see, at Notre Dame you're expected to graduate in four years and if you want a fifth year on the gridiron, you've graduated and have enrolled in grad school. Here's the link:
NBC Sports is experiencing the excitement that Brian Kelly has brought to the Fighting Irish football program -- first hand. For the second week in a row -- TV ratings are up big time. The Michigan vs. Notre Dame game was the most watched Notre Dame football game in the past five-years and the most watched featuring these two teams in sixteen-years. It was the twelfth largest audience ever for a NBC telecast of a Notre Dame football game in their twenty-year history with the Irish -- and largest audience ever for two un-ranked opponents. 7 million viewers tuned in to the game -- and the two-game viewership average is the best in four years for Notre Dame football. Here are the five largest TV audiences ever for a NBC broadcast of Notre Dame vs. Michigan football game:
