Skylar Diggins' Graduation Present From Jay-Z

Look what Skylar Diggins found in the parking lot just south of Notre Dame Stadium after the 168th Commencement at the University of Notre Dame today...

The second link shows Skylar crossing the stage and receiving her diploma.


LINK:  THE STORY 

LINK:  GETTING HER DIPLOMA

Notre Dame Volleyball -- European Tour Blog

The University of Notre Dame's women's Volleyball team embarks this evening from Chicago's O'Hare Airport on an eleven day tour of Europe.  The trip begins in Prague where the IRISH will play the best club team in the Czech Republic Olymp Praha...

The ND GO IRISH BLOG will be following the team and will be posting photos, etc., from their trip.  GO IRISH!

LINK:  TEAM'S OFFICIAL BLOG

Notre Dame Seniors' Last Visit to the Grotto...

Folks, this is a MUST SEE VIDEO produced by my colleagues in University Communications...


LINK:  LAST VISIT TO GROTTO

The "TENTH FOR LAST" -- Big East Champs!

The #11 ranked University of Notre Dame Women's Rowing team won their TENTH CONSECUTIVE BIG EAST CHAMPIONSHIP today -- and their last...

As the IRISH move on to take on the best the ACC has to offer next season.  The Big East Championship gives Notre Dame an automatic birth in the 16 team NCAA Championship -- the fifth in the sixteen year history of the program.

CONGRATULATIONS!

LINK:  BIG EAST CHAMPS

University of Notre Dame's Commencement

Today is the day 35,000 people will pile into historic Notre Dame Stadium to watch a family member of friend become an ALUMNUS of the UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME.  A pretty cool club to belong to for the rest of your life...

I'm leaving in three minutes to head over to the STADIUM to begin film work on a documentary for the University -- should be fun. 

If you'd like to watch the COMMENCEMENT LIVE -- you can -- here at the link below.  The schedule says 9 AM ET -- be sure to check it then.


LINK:  WATCH IT LIVE

ND Women's Rowing Goes for 10 Straight!

The University of Notre Dame's Women's Rowing Team is competing tomorrow (SUNDAY) for their TENTH STRAIGHT BIG EAST CHAMPIONSHIP!  The #11 ranked Fighting Irish will be competing at Lake Mercer, West Windsor (NJ) -- for the very last time in the Big East -- and you can watch it LIVE on the internet!

LINK:  LIVE WEB STREAMING

LINK:  PREPARING FOR THE FINAL TIME

Father Ted Hesburgh -- A Week to Remember

In just eight days -- Fr. Ted Hesburgh, C.S.C., will celebrate his 96th birthday (May 26th).

To celebrate this occasion Hesburgh will be honored by Speaker of the House Boehner and a number of other politicians on Wednesday at the U.S. Capitol.  Here's the story:

LINK:  FATHER TED'S WEEK

Coach Ara Parsegian's 90th Birthday Party

On May 21st former Notre Dame coaching great -- Ara Parseghian, will turn 90 years young...

This past month -- more than 100 of Coach Parseghian's former players gathered on campus to celebrate his life.  You'll enjoy Ara's talk at the video's end.

Quite a man.

LINK:  COACH PARSEGHIAN

Manti Te'o and the Chargers a "Perfect Match"

This is the headline of a NFL NEWS story that broke yesterday about the former Notre Dame All-American linebacker who was selected #38 overall by the San Diego Chargers...

The writer even goes on to say that Manti will make the most impact on defense of any rookie in the NFL.

LINK:  A PERFECT MATCH

Graduation Weekend for Skylar Diggins...

Over the next 40 hours or so, a little more than 2,500 young men and women will leave the title "Notre Dame student" behind in South Bend, IN...

One of those individuals is Skylar Diggins -- who will be "featured" in a story in Sunday's Tulsa World Scene.  Here's a link to a sneak preview of the story -- along with a link to where you can find the feature -- TOMORROW.

LINK:  TULSA'S NEW DARLING -- SKYLAR DIGGINS

LINK:  SUNDAY'S TULSA WORLD STORY ON SKYLAR

Watch the ND Glee Club Tonight LIVE at 8 PM

The Notre Dame Glee Club will be performing their Spring Concert tonight at 8 PM ET from Leighton Hall in the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center -- and it will be streamed LIVE ON THE WEB!

To watch the concert LIVE -- just click on the link below.  And, as a bonus -- there's a second link to the Notre Dame Glee Club performing "Here Come The Irish."  Enjoy!

LINK:  LIVE BROADCAST OF GLEE CLUB CONCERT

LINK:  ND GLEE CLUB -- HERE COME THE IRISH

BCS Bowl or Bust in 2013 for the Fightin' Irish

Notre Dame goes into the 2013 college football season with only one BOWL DEAL in place and that's a BCS Bowl...  So, here's the drill:

• Finish with 9 wins or more and in the top 14 final rankings and Notre Dame is BCS Bowl bound
• Finish with 8 wins or less and Notre Dame will have to sit back and watch a number of BOWLS -- make some deals to grab the IRISH
• In 2014 -- Notre Dame will be part of the ACC Bowl deal

LINK:  BCS OR BUST

Hoke on "Mike & MIKE Radio" Show This AM

Michigan football coach Brady Hoke appeared on ESPN's Mike & MIKE Show to clarify his comments made this past week at an ALUMNI/FAN event about Notre Dame "chickening out..."

Michigan's Athletic Department might just be worried about selling all of their seats on years when Ohio State doesn't come to Ann Arbor...


LINK:  HOKE ON MIKE & MIKE

The "Graduation Gift" to South Bend Business

This weekend more than 2,500 individuals will receive a diploma from the University of Notre Dame.  A special moment for them and their families...

What often goes unnoticed is the impact a COMMENCEMENT WEEKEND at Notre Dame means for area businesses.  Here's a story published today where the Executive Director of Visit South Bend Mishawaka speaks to the volume of visitors who come to town for weekends, like the one ahead...

LINK:  THE GRADUATION GIFT

Day #62,260 -- is in the Books at Notre Dame

The University of Notre Dame was founded on November 27, 1842...

Today marks day number 62,260 in the storied history of our favorite school.

But, who's counting...   Just me.

OT: Minnesota Vikings New Stadium Design

Let's just say this -- it must be great fun to be an architect and given a clean sheet of paper to design a new football stadium...

Here's what the Minnesota Vikings are looking to replace the METRODOME with (watch the promotional video linked below).  Pretty nice!

LINK:  THE VIKINGS PROPOSED NEW HOME

A Yacht Named "Fighting Irish" For Sale...

Ran across this tonight -- WOW -- is all I can say about this 145' long yacht named FIGTHING IRISH...

Just click on the photos to enlarge!


LINK:  THE FIGHTING IRISH

Video of Hoke Saying IRISH "Chickening Out..."

Well, the game in September against Michigan got a little more "fun" in the past 24 hours as the video was released of the Wolverine's head coach Brady Hoke saying that Notre Dame "chickened out..."

And, he also went on to say "they'll continue to play Michigan State and Purdue..."

Brady Hoke might just want to do some reading up on the history of the Michigan vs. Notre Dame rivalry -- and check in on who didn't want to play who over the past 125 years...

Now this is from a head coach who has the following schools on his schedule the next four seasons;

• Central Michigan University
• Akron University
• Appalachian State
• Miami of Ohio
• UNLV
• Hawaii
• Ball State

Oh, how I hope we put a whipping on this school!


LINK:  HOKE CALLING OUT NOTRE DAME

Manti Given a Starting Role With Chargers

The San Diege Chargers' head coach Mike McCoy said that Manti Te'o would assume the starting "Mike" linebacker position when the veterans begin practicing with the team...

LINK:  ESPN STORY

LINK:  MANTI TE'O GIVEN A STARTING POSITION

Notre Dame Ranked in Top Five in SI Poll

Well, I've seen two pre-season polls and this one is the most optimistic about Notre Dame's chances in 2013...

LINK:  SPORTS ILLUSTRATED'S RANKINGS