Time for a new topic. Recruiting is over, well it's never really over, but still on to new things. Spring Football, NCAA Basketball /Final 4, lacrosse, Frozen Four, We'll see how it goes with roster changes, transfers, etc.
You know AJ I'm not sure that ND has ever sold out a Spring Game. I doubt if the largest crowd ever was even 40K ...I'm just guessing though.
Terry, since 1962, my freshman year (1963 spring game, back then the varsity vs. FB alumni), I don't believe the attendance ever has been above 35-36,000, just over 50% of the old stadium (60,000 capacity), under 45% of the expanded capacity (80,000). The highest I can recall was Gerry Faust's first spring game, around 34-35,000. The weather was perfect, which drew a lot more fans from the Chicago area than normal. In recent years, the attendance has been around 27-28,000, maybe as high as 30,000 on a good weather day. So, AJ, yes, there are tickets available.
I don't think Texas ever has crowds like Nebraska, 30 to 40k probably typical. It seems like it's always on Easter weekend which doesn't help.
Talk about your lean years! https://247sports.com/college/notre...7-B4-53-D4180213_114330NotreDameFightingIrish
Reading the article on Minn OL Quinn Carroll who is a top target for the Irish in 2019. If there ever was a kid who needed to come to Notre Dame it's Quinn...first Quinn Carroll how Irish is that, and 2nd the kid is a big redhead with some freckels...now that's Irish! Plus I've read that his parents and the whole family have been life long Notre Dame fans. Come on Quinn, It's your destiny! I think this article on ISD is a free one. https://irishsportsdaily.com/s/5516/elite-2019-ol-quinn-carroll-looking-forward-to-notre-dame-return
It's too bad, I think the NCAA was wrong but it's done and no point in crying over spilt milk. The crowd that hates Brian Kelly, Jack Swarbrick and Fr. John Jenkins will see this as further evidence of their incompetence. I personally am disappointed that there was no penalty for institutional academic dishonesty as what went on at UNC, while ND was hammered for finding it out, self reporting, punishing the kids who cheated appropriately yet get hammered. Oh well, we know who won those games, we know who lost. I doubt if any school who lost to us during those games will now claim a victory. I'd say well we learned a tough lesson, but I doubt we did. There are kids, maybe some at ND, who right now are cheating and getting away with it for the moment. It happens every year in colleges all over the country. Always has and always will. I'll bet Ara had to kick some kid off the team and the University dismiss them for cheating.
Dennis Dodds on the Jenkins letter. I think he's overstating the importance of Fr. Jenkins letter, he's casting it as the first stone thrown in a battle with the NCAA by other schools as well. I think it's just a letter stating that the Irish feel they were not treated fairly. Also he makes the bold statement that the NCAA needs ND more than the reverse. Not really, unless we want to have our own championships in the various sports. Almost all championships are run by the NCAA, only the Football National Championship Playoff is not run by the NCAA. But certainly there have been calls for the Big Schools, the Power 5 to break away from the NCAA and have their own Association. But it wouldn't be easy except in football. It would destroy the Final Four, and the other championships. https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/notre-dames-eye-opening-ncaa-rebuke-could-be-the-tipping-point-of-an-avalanche/
Any school that cooperates with the NCAA is foolish. After the UNC fiasco, they have no credibility. Corey and I have been harping on this for a long time. The NCAA does not follow their own rules in investigating, prosecuting or adjudicating alleged (or self-reported) violations. :evil:
Tonight Purdue wins a squeaker over a good Penn State team. Why, you ask, am I posting this news in the ND topic? Because of the injury to Purdue's star player, Vince Edwards, Purdue junior Grady Eifert, who normally comes off the bench, played much of the game, He's the younger brother of Tyler Eifert.
Interesting, you always forget that our stars have siblings that might also be good athletes playing a sport somewhere. Up and down weekend for the Irish. Irish Men take care of Boston College on the backs of a record night for Matt Farrell who basically couldn't miss from 3pt land. Irish Women also played Boston College and won handily. Little more balanced effort from the team in scoring though. Irish Hockey continues to struggle after their 16 game winning streak came to an end. Losing 2 this weekend to Michigan. They need to find their mojo again for the B1G Hockey tournament.
Irish Men have a big game vs Miami tonight at home. They really need to win and then also beat Wake Forrest and Pitt, their last game is UVA which it's unlikely that they will win. Then the ACC tourney would need at least 1 maybe 2 wins to squeak into the NCAA's, otherwise it's a likely trip to the NIT.
How could I have forgotten.... Irish Baseball took 2 out of 3 from LSU at the Box...that's a good thing. Irish travel to San Antonio for their annual tourney that will feature B1G rival Purdue and St.Louis and local Incarnate Word. Irish Softball went 3-1 in the ACC/B1G challenge vs Minn and Michigan. Beating #14 Minn twice and splitting with #20 Mich. Irish are currently unranked. They sit at 6-3 with a big weekend coming up in a Calif tournament that has Texas A&M, Auburn, and Washington along with San Diego State and St. Johns.
Tough loss to Miami tonight. They came out and basically said you aren't beating us with Farrell or Gibbs. That left the other guys and they just couldn't produce enough offense. But they fought down to the wire, still a loss. Miami was able to penetrate and get points, we didn't have anybody who could penetrate and finish. Gebben got into double figures but it was due to some good interior passing, but we also threw the ball away a lot tonight. NCAA chances are fading.