No ND Football Players in Bookstore Basketball

Coach Kelly announced yesterday that his football players would not be playing Bookstore Basketball this year -- meaning the defending champions "Hallelujah Holla Back" (Dayne Crist and Jonas Gray) will not be able to "re-peat." Kelly made it very clear that his players need to concentrate on football this spring. Probably a good idea! Coach Kelly said he would revisit this subject again next year. Games start this Saturday.

Notre Dame's Barlow at Final Four in Indy

Irish Senior, Ashley Barlow will be competing this evening at the 22nd Annual State Farm Slam Dunk and Three Point Championships at the site of this weekend's Final Four -- in her hometown of Indianapolis. Ashley, won't be dunking -- but, she will be competing in the three-point competition against seven of the top shooters in the country. The competition is taking place inside the Indiana Convention Center (adjacent to Lucas Oil Stadium - where the Final Four will be played) at 7 PM EST. ESPN will be televising the event on a "tape-delayed" basis at 9 PM EST tonight. Good Luck Ashley!

79th Anniversary of Knute Rockne's Death

A plane carrying Notre Dame Head Football Coach Knute Rockne - crashed on this date, 79 years ago. Ironically, Rockne was on his way to participate in the filming of a movie called "The Spirit of Notre Dame" -- which just happens to be the name of Notre Dame's current development campaign. The plane crashed in a wheat field near the town of Bazaar, Kansas -- killing all eight people on board.

Notre Dame Partners with YMCA

The University of Notre Dame's NonProfit Professional Development announced today that it would begin providing executive training to the YMCA's senior leadership this August -- at Notre Dame's executive classroom space in Chicago. The YMCA joins other service organizations such as; Volunteers of America, Catholic Charities USA and National Human Services Assembly -- who have sought executive training from Notre Dame.

NOTRE DAME AND THE YMCA

Graduation moves to Notre Dame Stadium

In a move to accommodate more people at graduation -- the University of Notre Dame is moving Commencement, for the first time, to Notre Dame Stadium. The renovation of Purcell Pavillion left the arena with about 1,000 fewer seats, thus the need to move to a larger venue. This morning, Notre Dame announced the eight who would be receiving Honorary Degrees from the University. Here's a link to the story:

NOTRE DAME GRADUATION

Notre Dame's "Social Robots" and Autism

The University of Notre Dame's Psychology Department is working with "social robots" in their work with children with Autism. Here's a story released yesterday by Notre Dame concerning their work in this area. Click on link:

ND'S SOCIAL ROBOTS

Notre Dame installs a "Cleanroom" on campus

No, its not a prototype for a "George Jetson" dorm room at Notre Dame -- it's a 9,000 square foot classroom in Stinson-Remick Hall. It's the new home for some of Notre Dame's most advanced research projects. Click on the link to the story:

NOTRE DAME'S CLEANROOM

A New "Helmet Rule" for Irish Football!

The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame hit the Lumbar Practice Fields for the first time yesterday under the direction of new Head Coach, Brian Kelly. One of the changes Kelly has brought to the Irish program is you "can't take your helmet off" during practice. It's all part of the discipline and attention to detail that Kelly felt our football program was lacking. Yesterday's practice was the first of fifteen (including April 24th's Blue & Gold Game) that the NCAA allows for Spring Practice. If you'd like to see some free video online of the Irish's practice -- click on the link below:

CBS SPORTS.COM ALL ACCESS PASS TO NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS

Notre Dame one of the "DREAM" colleges in America!

In an annual survey of more than 3,000 parents of college applicants by the Princeton Review, when asked "what dream college do you wish your child could attend if acceptance or cost weren't issues?" -- the University of Notre Dame was ranked the "seventh most dreamiest University in America." In last year's survey -- Notre Dame was ranked fourth, which leads me to think high school parents must have had some "nightmares" these past twelve months!!! To see the list of the "top ten" -- click on this link:

PARENTS TOP TEN DREAM SCHOOLS FOR THEIR KIDS

Irish IDOL -- three more contestants...

Every week the NOTRE DAME GO IRISH BLOG -- searches the world wide web for the top performers of the greatest college fight song on the planet -- the Notre Dame Victory March. Here are three more contestants this week -- one has four legs! Click on the links below:

ONE FROM THE DOGS

TWO YEAR OLD ZACH & DAD

KAELIN

Skylar leads the Irish to Sweet Sixteen!

South Bend native, Skylar Diggins scored a career high 31 points in Notre Dame's 84 - 66 win last night over Vermont in the Second Round of the NCAA Women's Basketball National Championship. The victory puts the Irish into the "Sweet Sixteen" for the eighth time in the last fourteen years! Next up for Notre Dame is third seeded Oklahoma in Kansas City this Sunday. Tip-off for the game vs. Oklahoma is scheduled for 7:34 PM EST. Go Irish!

LINK TO SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE STORY

ND and USC Making Music Together!

The University of Notre Dame and the University of Southern California - long time rivals on the football field -- are collaborating in the class room via videoconferencing. Two Notre Dame students are enrolled in a Master Voice course with USC's Cynthia Munzer. Munzer sits in Los Angeles on the Southern Cal campus and she listens and critiques her two ND students via the live videoconference feed. Click on the link below to see how it's done:

MAKING MUSIC ND & USC

Muffet brings out the Green -- in Irish win!

The Fighting Irish Women's basketball team won their opening game of the 2010 NCAA Women's Basketball National Championship yesterday -- topping Cleveland State 86 - 58. As has become a tradition for Muffet McGraw and her Irish -- she brings out the "green" version of their jersey for important games. I've seen posts this morning from ND fans wishing the Men's Irish basketball team would adopt a similar uniform design -- are you listening Mike Brey? The Irish are back in action tomorrow night when they play Vermont in the "second round" in a home game at Purcell Pavillion.

NFL Pro Day at Notre Dame -- March 23rd

Tomorrow, NFL scouts will be found with their stop watches, note pads and cameras inside Notre Dame's indoor practice facility as they take a look at the Notre Dame football players who are interested in playing in the NFL. It's NFL Pro Day at Notre Dame and many of the graduating seniors from the past two Irish football teams will be going through a number of "combine" drills and tests. Not sure if Golden Tate will be participating -- Jimmy Clausen will not, his personal Pro Day is scheduled for April 9th, though he will be in attendance. Here are the players who will be participating; James Aldridge, Sergio Brown, Paul Duncan, Kyle McCarthy, Raeshon McNeil, Eric Olsen, Robby Parris, Morrice Richardson, Scott Smith, Toryan Smith, Sam Young, David Grimes and Asaph Schwapp. Three years ago, Brady Quinn was a hot topic amongst NFL teams -- here's a link to his NFL Pro Day at Notre Dame:

BRADY QUINN'S PRO DAY AT NOTRE DAME

ESPN STORY ON ND NFL PRO DAY

"Old 2 Gold" Yard Sale at Notre Dame Stadium

The University of Notre Dame's annual "Old 2 Gold" yard sale at Notre Dame Stadium has been set for Saturday, June 26th. The event is free and open to the public from 9 AM to 11 AM. If you'd like "first crack" at all of the items for sale -- you can pay $5 to get in at 7 AM -- and have two hours to shop the bargains first! Tickets go on sale for the early admission at 5 AM that day at Notre Dame Stadium.

Irish Women's Basketball begin NCAA run!

Well, we have one basketball team left in the NCAA Tournament - and that's Muffet McGraw's Fighting Irish. They begin tournament play tomorrow afternoon with a "home" game at Purcell Pavillion. The 2nd seeded Irish will be taking on the 15th seed, Cleveland State at 2:30 PM EST. It's been nine years since the Irish won the 2001 NCAA Women's Basketball National Championship. Tickets are still available -- and if you can't get to South Bend, you can watch the game on ESPN.

Notre Dame to play "under the lights" at Michigan

The first night game in Michigan Stadium history will take place on September 10th, 2011 -- when the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame come to town. The so called "Big House" has never hosted a night game in its 83 year history. Michigan's new Athletic Director Dave Brandon (just eleven days on the job) made the announcement yesterday. Here's a link to the South Bend Tribune Article:

ND AT NIGHT IN MICHIGAN

What are they doing now? -- Rocket Ismail

It was announced yesterday that former ND All American, Raghib "The Rocket" Ismail has a new career. He's going to work for the Versus Channel and will be one of their commentators on Professional Bull Riding. Here's a link to the news article that speaks to what The Rocket is up to:

NO BULL!

Irish Men's Basketball begin NCAA Journey Today!

The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame tip off their 2010 run in the NCAA Tournament this afternoon at 12:25 PM (EST) in New Orleans against Old Dominion University. The Monarchs finished the season as the Colonial Athletic Association champs with a record of 26 - 8. They have a RPI ranking of 27 -- which is much higher than the Irish's 49 RPI. Both teams have a common opponent in Georgetown -- which both beat this season. This will be the second meeting in basketball between the two schools. In 1984 the Irish beat the Monarchs 67 - 62 in the NIT.

Happy St. Patrick's Day - Wearin' of the Green!

Many fans of the University of Notre Dame believe the tradition of wearing green jerseys began against USC in 1977. Well, it really began in the 20's under Knute Rockne. Back then the Freshmen football teams wore green jerseys, while the Varsity wore blue. When teams showed up at Notre Dame wearing blue jerseys, Rockne would switch his team over to green jerseys to better distinguish his players from the opposition. In a game against Navy, Rockne had his teams wear a green jersey underneath their blue ones and when the Midshipmen scored first in the game - Rockne ordered his team to tear off their blue jerseys and wear the green. And, as George Trevor of the New York Sun reported; "Instantaneously, the Notre Dame regulars yanked off their blue outer sweaters and - like a horde of green Gila monsters - darted onto the field. From that moment on, Notre Dame held the initiative, imposed its collective will upon the Navy." Notre Dame came from behind to win that game, 19-6, and then used the same maneuver the following year at Chicago's Soldier Field. That 1928 game saw Notre Dame beat Navy, 7-0, with the Scholastic Football Review including this description: "Mr. K.K. Rockne may, or may not, be a psychologist. But, he did array his team in bright green jerseys for their battle with the United States Naval Academy. Mr Rockne evidently surmised that garbing a band of native and adopted Irish in their native color is somewhat akin to showing a bull the Russian flag." The green jerseys remained prominent throughout the Frank Leahy years - particularly in September of 1947, when Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Lujack graced the cover of Life magazine clad in green. Digger Phelps used to trot out the green jerseys during the NCAA Tournament when the Irish played on or near St. Patrick's Day. Muffet McGraw has done the same with her teams. Will Brey bring the "green" to New Orleans tomorrow? The link below shows the Irish running onto the field in green jerseys in the famous 1977 game against USC:

NOTRE DAME WEARING GREEN VERSUS USC IN 1977