ESPN's Mark May and "Leprechaun Dreams!"

The folks at ESPN are having some fun this week with Mark May's promise to dress up like the Notre Dame Leprechaun if the IRISH go undefeated...

LINK:  LOU AND MARK MAY

How's This For a PHOTO!

I believe this was shot by Notre Dame's award winning photographer Matt Cashore...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING from Notre Dame!

Thought you'd enjoy seeing this effort that came out of the Stewardship team, Fighting Irish Digital Media and our Marketing & Communications team at the University of Notre Dame -- hope you like!

More than 1,000 Notre Dame students signed a 24' long THANK YOU CARD on campus earlier this month.  Singer/songwriter Tim Stop performed his own rendition of HERE COME THE IRISH that I believe you'll enjoy as well...

LINK:  THANK YOU!

The Media Can't Get Enough of Notre Dame...

If you ever questioned the importance of the Notre Dame brand in American sport -- I hope you've set those thoughts aside...

Notre Dame's move to the top of the college football world, late Saturday night, even has the attention of  news organizations -- that rarely talk football.   Here's what's being said today!

LINK:  WALL STREET JOURNAL

LINK:  WSJ'S -- THE DAILY FIX

LINK:  YAHOO SPORTS

LINK:  LOS ANGELES TIMES

LINK:  HUFFINGTON POST

LINK:  NEW YORK TIMES

LINK:  NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

#1 on the Football Field & #1 in the Classroom!

Only Notre Dame!

The University of Notre Dame is the first school ever to be ranked #1 in the BCS Football rankings and #1 in the NCAA Graduation Rates -- and to think many college football pundits thought this couldn't be done...

LINK:  STUDENT-ATHLETE EXCELLENCE

ND Glee Club Sings "Here Come The Irish"

You will want to watch this!

LINK:  HERE COME THE IRISH!

USC WEEK: Kiffin Says Barkley Will Not Play

The University of Southern California's starting QB will not play in next Saturday night's PRIME TIME game against our Fightin' Irish.  Barkley was hurt with a couple of minutes left in their loss yesterday to UCLA.

It's a shame we won't see Barkley!

Lane Kiffin announced this afternoon that Barkley has a sprained throwing shoulder.  Max Wittek will get the start for the Trojans.

LINK:  KIFFIN "BARKLEY OUT"

NBC'S Coverage of ND's Win over Wake Forest

Here's a number of links to NBC's coverage of Notre Dame's 38 - 0 victory over Wake Forest yesterday at Notre Dame Stadium.  The win moved the IRISH record to 11 - 0 on the season!

LINK:  ALEX FLANAGAN WITH COACH KELLY

LINK:  MANTI AND TYLER EIFERT AFTER GAME

LINK:  COACH KELLY'S GATORADE SHOWER

LINK:  ND vs. WAKE FOREST -- FULL GAME REPLAY

It's OFFICIAL -- Notre Dame Football is #1 !!!

Back in late August -- USC was the consensus #1 team in America and Notre Dame wasn't given much hope of winning more than 8 games this season...

Aren't you glad THEY PLAY THE GAMES!

This evening -- the BCS RANKINGS were released and as was expected our FIGHTING IRISH are back on top of the college football world!  Here's the rankings:

LINK:  BCS RANKINGS

THE "OTHER #1" BEATS MICHIGAN STATE!

The University of Notre Dame has two #1 teams in the country at this very moment. 

This afternoon, Notre Dame's #1 seeded -- Big East Champion -- Men's Soccer team beat Michigan State 3 - 0 in the 2nd Round of the NCAA Soccer Championships!

The Irish advance now to play #16  Indiana.

Please note the "IRISH are ranked #3" in the country in men's soccer -- however, we beat the current #1 Akron earlier in the season -- thus, the #1 seed from the NCAA.  I want to thank ND GO IRISH BLOG regular and ND and Akron parent TP Dankoff for setting me straight!

LINK:  POST GAME VIDEO

Our "Little Girl" is Getting Married!!!

Conor Walsh asked our daughter Kara Small to marry him this afternoon...

And, she said YES!

Very special moment for our "little girl" and the Small family.  Kara -- we couldn't be happier for you -- Conor, we'll be proud to call you SON & BROTHER.

PS:  Conor is a Notre Dame fan!!!

Photo of the Year (So Far): The Last Time...

Here's a photo I took in Notre Dame Stadium of Manti Te'o running out onto the field to hug his Mom & Dad at the 50 yard line -- prior to yesterday's game with Wake Forest.  Awesome moment.

The Grace Hall #1 Sign is BACK IN PLACE!!!

Notre Dame will "light up" the #1 sign atop GRACE HALL this evening -- celebrating Notre Dame football's return to the top spot in college football.

I suspect the lighting will take place after the 8:30 PM ET announcement of the BCS rankings!

Here's a photo (above) "tweeted" by the Notre Dame Alumni Association of the #1 sign going back on top of Grace Hall!

Notre Dame Gets 56 of 59 Coaches' #1 Votes

I want to know what college football coach voted NOTRE DAME #4 -- in the just released Coaches Poll!  Fifty-six coaches picked Notre Dame #1!

LINK:  COACHES POLL STORY

LINK:  COACHES POLL

The Media's Take on NOTRE DAME Being #1

Now, we have many who love us around the world -- and a "few" who don't -- so the news last night that Notre Dame was returning to the TOP OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL did not go unnoticed!

ENJOY THIS MOMENT!

LINK:  THE END OF THE WORLD

LINK:  FOX NEWS

LINK:  ESPN NOTRE DAME BLOG

LINK:  NBC'S NOTRE DAME CENTRAL

Forbes' Twist on Notre Dame's Success on Field

Leave it to Forbes magazine to author a story today about the "restoration of the Notre Dame brand" -- as it relates to the success of our football team.  You'll enjoy this!

LINK:  THE NOTRE DAME BRAND

AP Poll: Notre Dame #1, Alabama #2

I'm not surprised we're #1 -- however, I'm shocked we got ALL 60 FIRST PLACE VOTES!

Saturday's game with USC can't come fast enough!

Notre Dame fans will want to tune-in this evening to ESPN when they "officially" announce NOTRE DAME as the #1 Team in the BCS RANKINGS.  The fun begins at 8:30 PM ET!

GO IRISH!


LINK: AP POLL STORY

LINK:  USA TODAY STORY

Notre Dame Students Celebrating on Campus!

This photo was just "tweeted" by WNDU-TV's Angelo DiCarlo -- as word got out around campus that the NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH are #1 in college football!

Here's the WNDU-TV video linked below!

LINK:  NOTRE DAME STUDENTS CELEBRATE THE NEWS!

6,937 Days Since the IRISH Were Last #1 !!!

Notre Dame has not been ranked #1 in college football since November 20, 1993 -- when Boston College kicked a field goal to beat the IRISH.

It's been way too long!

ENJOY THIS NOTRE DAME!!!

The Irish are now the only team in college football that know they need only two more wins to win a NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP -- and the RING!

LINK:  ESPN 

PS:  Irish fans we're going to start hearing this story the next few days -- "Notre Dame should have to play in a conference championship to qualify for the National Championship game..."  -- just smile and make plans to take January 7th off of work!!!

NOTRE DAME #1: ONLY UNDEFEATED TEAM!

November 17, 2012 -- the day NOTRE DAME returned to the top of the COLLEGE FOOTBALL world!

• #1 Kansas State loses to Baylor 52 - 24
• #2 Oregon loses to Stanford in OT 17 - 14
• #3 NOTRE DAME beats Wake Forest 38 - 0