Notre Dame's Path to the 2014 Final Four !!!

Here are the teams that will be in the way of Muffet's Fighting Irish's journey to a fourth straight Final Four -- assuming they will play the highest seeds in every match-up!

• March 22:  Robert Morris -- in Toledo, OH
• March 24: Vanderbilt
• March 29: Purdue
• March 31: Kentucky

LINK:  2014 NCAA WOMEN'S BRACKET

"Notre Dame Day" Only 41 Days Away!

The University of Notre Dame is planning a major global celebration on April 27th -- a day called Notre Dame Day...

The countdown begins!

LINK:  COUNTDOWN TO NOTRE DAME DAY

Muffet's Fighting Irish Learn Their Path Today

At 7 PM ET this evening, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish will learn who they must beat to return to the NCAA Final Four -- for a FOURTH STRAIGHT TIME!  ESPN will telecast "Selection Monday" -- so tune in!

LINK:  WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Just wanted to wish the entire Notre Dame Family a Happy St. Patrick's Day!  Here's some video from yesterday's St. Patrick's Day Parade in Chicago.

LINK:  PARADE

ND Lacrosse Hammers #7 Virginia 18 - 9 !!!

Kevin Corrigan's #11 Notre Dame Men's Lacrosse Team "doubled up" on #7 Virginia this afternoon in the first ever ACC home game for this program -- winning 18 - 9 !!!

Here's the game story and highlights!

LINK:  IRISH ROUT VIRGINIA

LINK:  HIGHLIGHTS

ND Hockey Knocks Out #2 Boston College!

The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame did what most in the hockey world would have thought impossible -- beat #2 Boston College on their home ice in a three game series in the Hockey East Tournament...

What a statement series for Jeff Jackson's Irish!  They now move on to play Lowell next weekend at the "new" Boston Garden in the Semi-Finals.

Click on the link below to see the game winning goal:

LINK:  GAME WINNING GOAL

LINK:  NESN STORY

Aerial Photo of The Chicago River Dyed Green!

Thought you'd enjoy this St. Patrick's Day Parade tradition in Chicago.

Samardzija Opening Day Starter for Cubs!

Former Notre Dame All-American wide receiver Jeff Samardzija was named the Chicago Cubs Opening Day starter by their manager this week -- his second straight opening start!

Congrats Jeff!

Here's an interview he game after hearing the news:

LINK:  OPENING DAY

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