Former Notre Dame All-American wide receiver Jeff Samardzija has apparently been traded this evening from the Chicago Cubs to the first place Oakland Athletics.
As you can see in this photo -- the field turf is being laid directly over top of the stone surface -- here at Baylor's brand new football stadium.
A photo of the progress inside Notre Dame Stadium (see post) shows a stone covered playing surface -- the actual turf installation must not be far off!
Here's a USA Today story on Notre Dame's first opponent of the 2014 season -- the Rice Owls.
Not many "top tier" college football programs schedule an opening game with a team coming off of a TEN WIN season -- yet, that's the case with the Irish home opener with Rice. The Owls went 10 - 3 last season.
Over the past few days -- Under Armour has sent out a "gold" case out to influencers announcing the official start of their relationship with Notre Dame -- here is what it looks like.
The new field turf installation keeps humming along inside Notre Dame Stadium. As you can see a layer of stone now resides over top of the drainage system...
The first game against Rice is now only 59 days away!
Notre Dame fans will remember former student-athlete Mark Green '89, who played running back during the Holtz era for the Fighting Irish.
His is a story the Notre Dame Football staff will want to share with a number of the top high school football players (and their families) in the country...
On January 21, 2014 the University of Notre Dame and Under Armour announced the largest shoe and apparel contract in the history of collegiate athletics. At the time -- Under Armour's market cap was $8.96 Billion.
Fast forward 164 days later...
Under Armour's market cap is now $12.89 Billion -- an increase of 43.5% since the Notre Dame announcement.
This photo was making the rounds on Twitter the last few days. It shows former Notre Dame running back Vagas Ferguson with three young Fighting Irish fans...
Well, the young man in the Notre Dame sweatshirt on the left is none other than the head football coach for the Texas A&M Aggies -- Kevin Sumlin.
You can't make this up -- either Adidas is trying to save money by recycling Notre Dame stuff -- or, merchandise isn't selling well in Ann Arbor and they needed a little help...
The Notre Dame Football Equipment staff is busy this week getting all of the Under Armour gear set-up for the upcoming season. One of the shipments that arrived is the official Wilson Notre Dame footballs...
The boxes came rolling into campus yesterday -- as the historic Notre Dame / Under Armour deal commenced this morning. Here's a photo of just a "few" of the boxes of new shoes, apparel and gear that the Notre Dame Football team will be wearing this summer and fall.
The most lucrative shoe and apparel deal in college sports history kicked off last night at midnight despite TORNADO WARNINGS in the area of Notre Dame's campus -- crazy!
Here's a photo of the Notre Dame fans who wanted to be the FIRST to wear the new gear from Under Armour.
Here is a photo of a downed tree this morning on Notre Dame Avenue that temporarily closed the entrance to campus. The on-campus nine-hole golf course took a major beating from the storm as did Cedar Grove Cemetery.
The Michiana area took a big hit last night as winds upwards of 80 mph ripped through the area. Here's a couple of links to photos of the storm damage in the South Bend area:
The most valuable shoe and apparel contract in the history of college sports -- begins at midnight tonight.
The University of Notre Dame and Under Armour's ten year relationship kicks-off this evening with an unveiling party at the Leep Varsity Shop located inside Purcell Pavilion. Fans are expected to be lining up in the next couple of hours -- weather permitting!
Former Notre Dame student-athlete T.J. Jones was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the Sixth Round of the 2014 NFL Draft. As you'll see in this story -- a Lions' beat writer for the Detroit Free Press thinks T.J. will make the team.
Last Sunday, former Notre Dame All-American Skylar Diggins scored more points in a WNBA game than any other Fighting Irish student-athlete in history. Skylar scored 33 in the Tulsa Shock's 106 - 99 OT win over the Chicago Sky.
Just before 9 PM ET in the city of Boston -- a number of former Notre Dame men's basketball players won a basketball game that carried a $500,000 first place check. They upset a team that was considered the prohibitive favorite - a team with four former NBA players.
What though the odds be great or small -- ol' Notre Dame will win over all!
Here are the media stories the morning after the big upset win!!!
The University of Notre Dame's hockey program celebrated its 75th and 76th players drafted "all-time" in the NHL Entry Draft when Joe Wengwerth went 92nd overall to the Florida Panthers and Jake Evans went 207th overall to the Montreal Canadiens.
Wengwerth will enroll at Notre Dame the fall of 2015 -- playing this next season for the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL. Here's a link to his story -- posted yesterday. LINK
Evans, out of Toronto -- will be playing for Jeff Jackson's Fighting Irish this upcoming season. He scored 63 points in 49 games for St. Mike's Buzzers of the Ontario Junior Hockey League this past season -- earning first team OJHL all-prospect selection.
The team of Notre Dame Fighting Irish Alumni basketball players won the inaugural The Basketball Tournament tonight and the $500,000 check that goes to the winning team! The Fighting Alumni beat the prohibitive favorites Team Bartstool 72 - 68 -- a huge upset!!!
What thought the odds be great or small...
The third story linked below was published this morning at the South Bend Tribune -- IT IS A MUST READ!
Former NBC sideline reporter for Notre Dame Football -- Alex Flanagan, "tweeted" this picture of a package she received from Under Armour promoting their deal with the University of Notre Dame.
The NHL's Florida Panthers just drafted future Notre Dame hockey forward Joe Wegwerth with the 92nd pick overall in the 2014 NHL Draft.
Wegwerth, from Burnsville, MN is expected to play this season for the Green Bay Gamblers in the USHL and join the Fighting Irish for the 2015 - 2016 season.
The 2014 NFL Rookie Class descended on Aurora, OH this past week for the NFL Rookie Symposium. A number of our favorite Notre Dame players were in attendance -- here's a few stories about their experience:
The "bearded guy" in the photo is the Dallas Cowboys's first round draft pick Zack Martin at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Former Notre Dame offensive lineman Chris Watt '13 -- now with the San Diego Chargers -- threw out the first pitch at a San Diego Padres' ball game at Petco Park. Here's a link to the photo gallery:
A number of former Notre Dame basketball players "The Fighting Alumni" are playing tournament favorites "Team Barstool" in the championship game of The Basketball Tournament tomorrow night at 7 PM ET.
The game -- which will be played at Boston University will be streamed live on Watch ESPN -- see game story linked below.
Jerami Grant -- the younger brother of Notre Dame senior guard Jerian Grant -- was drafted 39th overall in the 2nd round of the 2014 NBA Draft tonight by the Philadelphia 76ers.
Jerami left early for the NBA having just completed his sophomore season with the Syracuse Orange. At one point (five months ago) he was considered a "top-ten pick" and he goes in the second round.
Big brother Jerian has returned to Notre Dame for his final season...
Former Notre Dame All-American, Heisman Trophy winner and NFL great Tim Brown -- has just published a book entitled "The Making of a Man" -- his life story.
Here's a link to Tim's interview about the book -- along with a second link to where you can buy it!
Former Notre Dame student-athlete and now Houston Texan -- Louis Nix '14 and former NBC / Notre Dame sideline reporter Alex Flanagan got together today to take this photo.
The University of Notre Dame has won the Capital One Cup for Men's Athletics for the 2013 - 2014 academic year! This is according to a "tweet" last night from ND Athletics' John Heisler.
The Capital One Cup is awarded annually to each of the best men's and
women's Division I college athletics programs in the country. Points
toward the Capital One Cup are earned and tracked throughout the year
based on final standings of NCAA Championships and final official
coaches' polls. One winning men's and one winning women's program will
be crowned after the completion of the final NCAA spring championships.
Capital One will award a combined $400,000 in student-athlete
scholarships and the Capital One Cup trophy to the winning schools at
the ESPY awards in July.
A huge accomplishment for our Athletics Department!
The University of Notre Dame -- in partnership with General Electric, City of South Bend, State of Indiana, Great Lakes Capital and Indiana Michigan Power -- announced the construction of a $36 million research facility for gas turbine engines. The 43,000 square foot facility will be built in South Bend's Ignition Park -- see the story below: LINK: NEW RESEARCH FACILITY
Former Notre Dame student-athlete Becca Huffer '12 won the Michigan Open yesterday -- birdieing the last two holes (after nearly a four hour rain delay) to finish with an 11-under score for the tournament.
This is the first professional win for the former Fighting Irish team captain. CONGRATULATIONS BECCA! Click on the link below -- you'll see Becca's interview after winning the tournament:
I want to thank ND GO IRISH BLOG regular and former CEO of the Michigan Section of the PGA of America -- Ken Devine for alerting me to Becca's win.
A "home and home" football series was announced today between the University of Georgia and the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. The first game will be held at Notre Dame Stadium in 2017 -- marking only the second time in history that these two schools will meet in football -- they will meet again in Athens in 2019.
A more interesting stat is this -- the 2017 game at Notre Dame will be the first time in 52 years that Georgia plays a football game "north" of the MASON DIXON LINE...
Here's the latest photo of the new field turf installation going on right now inside Notre Dame Stadium.
Notre Dame fans will remember T.J. Jones '14 playing through a shoulder injury much of last season -- that he re-injured during the bowl game at Yankee Stadium against Rutgers...
Well, the Detroit Lion wide receiver -- underwent what's being called "minor" surgery to repair an AC sprain.
NBC's Keith Arnold weighed in on a story written by Sports Illustrated's Stewart Mandel about the Big Ten's expansion plans -- and Notre Dame's decision to join up with the Atlantic Coast Conference.