The Best Campus in College Football!

The folks at Bleacher Report came out today with their rankings of the top-50 college football campuses in America -- and, to no surprise here -- the University of Notre Dame campus was picked #1!   Special thanks to ND GO IRISH BLOG regular contributor Ken Devine for alerting me to this!

Here's a link to their rankings of the top 50:

LINK:  TOP FOOTBALL CAMPUS IN AMERICA!

NIKE Calls it Platinum -- I See Gray...

 

Here's the latest "creative" look coming out of the folks in Beaverton -- the NIKE PLATINUM uniform.  The gang at Adidas must just shake their head -- how do they get ahead?

UCONN will debut the new uniform this Sunday in their game against Notre Dame.

LINK:  THE NIKE PLATINUM -- ESPN STORY

Mike Floyd in All-Star Football Challenge!

University of Notre Dame WR Michael Floyd, has agreed to participate in the 14th Annual All-Star Football Challenge (ASFC).  Floyd and eleven other college football stars will compete in these individual events;  FRS Healthy Performance QB Scramble, U.S. Marines Obstacle Course, Wide Receiver Hands Competition and the Lineman Challenge. 

ND fans will be able to watch the ASFC on ESPN2 -- Super Bowl Sunday at 4 PM ET.  If you'd like to watch this in person -- the ASFC takes place on February 2nd in Indianapolis at the SportZone.  The doors open up at 6 PM with the competition set to begin at 7 PM.  Admission is not guaranteed and limited -- so arrive early!

If you'd like to see the Wide Receiver Hands Competition and the Obstacle Course from last season -- click on the video below:

LINK:  WHAT MIKE FLOYD WILL BE DOING...

Joe Montana's Home For Sale: $35 Million!

Former Notre Dame QB and Super Bowl Champion, Joe Montana -- just dropped the price of his home $14 million -- to a more "reasonable" price of $35,000,000.  The home is set on 500 acres of incredible real estate in northern California.  Here's a link to the story about the sale of the house and plenty of additional photos.  Good Luck Joe!

LINK:  MONTANA'S HOME FOR SALE

Justin Tuck Returns to the Super Bowl!

He wears #91 for the New York Giants -- Notre Dame fans will remember the #44 he wore with the GOLD HELMET.

Over the next two weeks, Mr. Tuck will be the focus of many interviews as he's become one of the media's "favorite gets" with the New York football Giants and he's a TEAM CAPTAIN.

Here's a few stories that have run in the past two days since Tuck & Company beat the 49'ers.  Enjoy!

LINK:  TUCK RETURNS TO THE SITE OF HIS GREATEST MOMENT

LINK:  ESPN'S "TUCK NOTEBOOK"

LINK:  TUCK'S TOUGHEST YEAR

#2 Irish Roll Over #9 Tennessee 72 - 44!

After a first half that would best be classified as SLOPPY -- Muffet's IRISH put away the Tennessee Vols with a second half burst that carried Notre Dame to a lopsided victory.  It just goes to show you how good this year's edition of the Fighting Irish is -- they played one half of basketball and beat the #9 team in the country by 28 points.

It was a special moment before the game when the Notre Dame crowd gave the all-time winningest coach in college basketball history, Tennessee's Pat Summitt, a very warm welcome when she was introduced.  Coach Summitt is fighting a very public battle with dementia -- a tough fight for a proud lady.  I know ND fans join me in wishing her all the best.

Here's a link to the game recap from ESPN and highlights from UND.COM:

LINK:  IRISH ROLL OVER VOLS

LINK:  GAME HIGHLIGHTS

Irish vs. Volunteers -- ESPN2's Big Monday!

Our #2 ranked Fighting Irish take on the #9 ranked Lady Vols tonight at 7 PM ET on ESPN2.  The perennial powers will be playing at Notre Dame's Purcell Pavillion.  The Irish have only beaten Tennessee once in women's basketball in 21 games -- that victory came last season.  Will Muffet add to her winning streak against Pat Summitt...  I believe she will!

LINK:  GAME NOTES

Photo of the Day: Sergio's Super Bowl Bound!

Domer Sergio Brown just "tweeted" this photo of him laying on the field at Gillette Stadium -- hours after he and his New England Patriot teammates earned a trip to Indianapolis, next week, to play in Super Bowl XLVI after beating the Baltimore Ravens 23 - 20.

Congratulations Sergio!

Hoops Across America -- Visits Notre Dame!

The folks at ESPNW are visiting sixteen college women's hoops programs -- and this week it was Notre Dame.  Here's a look at their story entitled "Love of the Irish drives volunteers."

LINK:  HOOPS ACROSS AMERICA

Coach Paterno, May You Rest In Peace...

Penn State University's "COACH" Joe Paterno, passed away this morning at the age of 85.  Here's a link to the ESPN & CNN stories along with a link to a FACEBOOK page where you can share your thoughts about Coach Paterno.

LINK:  ESPN STORY

LINK:  FACEBOOK PAGE

LINK:  CNN COVERAGE -- FANS MOURN PATERNO'S DEATH

Mornin' After Last Night's Historic Win!

For the eighth time in the 107 year history of Notre Dame basketball -- the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame beat the top ranked team in college basketball -- the seventh time at PURCELL PAVILLION.  Here's the highlights from ND's 67 - 58 win over Syracuse -- as well as links to what the media is sayin' about the game:

LINK:  GAME HIGHLIGHTS

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE STORY #1

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE STORY #2

LINK:  CHICAGO TRIBUNE

LINK:  ASSOCIATED PRESS

LINK:  SYRACUSE POST STANDARD

LINK:  SYRACUSE STUDENT NEWSPAPER

Where #1 Goes to LOSE! -- WOW!!!

Nine times in the 107 year history of Notre Dame basketball, the #1 team in the nation has come to campus to play the IRISH.  And, now SEVEN OUT OF NINE TIMES -- the IRISH BEAT #1!

My wife Susan and I are spending our first weekend at Notre Dame (after starting the new job at ND on Monday) and we watched the IRISH beat MICHIGAN (3 - 1) last night in hockey at a sold-out Compton Family Ice Arena...

And, we just watched the IRISH beat undefeated and #1 SYRACUSE (67 - 58) in a sold-out Purcell Pavillion!  The eighth time Notre Dame has beaten a #1 in basketball -- which ties them for fourth all time!

What a first weekend on the job!

The photo was taken by Susan at game's end -- what a scene!

GO IRISH!

LINK:  ESPN BLOG STORY

LINK:  LOCKER ROOM AFTER BIG WIN!

LINK:  COACH BREY PRESS CONFERENCE

LINK:  IRISH CONNECTION RECAP -- YOU'LL LOVE THIS!

Irish vs. #1 Syracuse: 6 PM ET on ESPN

Mike Brey's Fighting Irish take on their toughest test this evening when Jim Boeheim's (pictured) #1 ranked and undefeated -- Syracuse Orangemen come to Purcell Pavillion.  The game tips off at 6 PM ET TODAY on ESPN.

As I sit here (writing this blog post) ESPN's "High Def" production trucks are rolling onto campus.  Should be quite the show!

Here's a story published this morning by the Syracuse Post Standard -- you'll enjoy!

LINK:  NOTRE DAME -- WHERE #1 TEAMS GO TO LOSE

Will Twitter Take a College Dream Away?

A high school football star in New Jersey (ranked #40 in the country by ESPN) finds himself expelled from his high school and possibly off the recruitable lists of many of the top colleges in America for a series of "tweets" on the TWITTER social media channel.

Notre Dame is one of the schools that has been recruiting Yuri Wright -- a Army All-American DB out of Don Bosco Prep.

Here's a link to the ESPN.COM story about Yuri Wright's situation:

LINK:  A TWITTER OUTCOME

Photo of the Day: Snow & The Dome!

This photo of the University of Notre Dame's Main Building (back side) -- was "tweeted" tonight by Geoff Barcus @notoriousgnb

Irish Hockey Breaks Michigan's 9 Game Streak!

Jeff Jackson's #6 ranked Fighting Irish beat the #10 Michigan Wolverines 3 -1 tonight in front of a sold-out crowd at the Compton Family Ice Arena.  The win moves the Irish into a tie with Michigan for 3rd or 4th place in the CCHA, depending on how Lake Superior fared this evening.  It was also the first loss for Michigan in their last nine games.  Congratulations Irish! 

LINK:  COACH JACKSON POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE

LINK:  IRISH / MICHIGAN HOCKEY HIGHLIGHTS FROM NBC

The First Time In 24 Years -- #1 Is In Town!

Syracuse University's #1 ranked basketball team comes into Notre Dame's Purcell Pavillion tomorrow night -- marking the first time in 24 years that a #1 ranked team has come into town to play the Irish basketball team.

Now, believe it or not -- the ODDS are in Notre Dame's favor that we'll UPSET #1 in our building.

Over the years, EIGHT teams have come into South Bend ranked #1 -- and on SIX occasions -- the IRISH were VICTORIOUS!  So, lookout Syracuse!

Here's a link to a look-back at #1's coming into Purcell Pavillion:

LINK:  #1 GOES HOME WITH A LOSS!

Will Kansas Change Its Colors to Blue & Gold?

 

In a matter of just a few weeks, former Notre Dame football coach Charlie Weis '79 has turned the Kansas Jayhawk football program into the Notre Dame Club of Lawrence (KS). 

As of today, there are seven (7) former ND football players and coaches learning "ROCK CHOCK JAYHAWK:"

• Charlie Weis '79
• Ron Powlus '97
• Tim Grunhard '90
• Rob Ianello (ND Coach 2005 - 2009)
• Mo Crum '09
• Dayne Crist '12
• Mike Ragone '11

LINK:  KANSAS FOOTBALL ROSTER

SI Feature: ND's Only NBA Head Coach

Sports Illustrated published a story today on former ND basketball star Monty Williams '94.  Williams is the head coach of the NBA's New Orleans Hornets -- a team that was ravaged during the NBA's extended off-season.  In his second year in the NBA's "first seat" -- Monty is facing a challenge most couldn't handle.  You'll enjoy this story.

LINK:  MONTY WILLIAMS -- A ND MAN

Golden Tate the Only "Perfect" WR in NFL!

The folks at PRO FOOTBALL FOCUS have just released a statistic on "catchable" balls this season and former Notre Dame All-American Golden Tate (Seattle Seahawks) is the only NFL wide receiver who CAUGHT EVERY CATCHABLE BALL THROWN TO HIM this season!

Think about that!

Seattle Seahawk QB's threw 35 "catchable" balls to Golden this season and he caught every single one.  To people who follow this kind of stuff -- they're not surprised -- since Golden only dropped one catchable ball in his rookie season.

ONE DROP IN TWO SEASONS IN THE NFL!

Here's a link to the stats on "catchable" balls

LINK:  CALL HIM MR. PERFECT!