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Notre Dame to examine using stadium location as hub for student life and academic facilities

2013-05-02T14:15:00-04:00

Conceptual sketch of Notre Dame Stadium. Larger image

The University of Notre Dame announced today (May 2) that it is exploring an innovative approach to campus planning that would take advantage of the central location of the football stadium to make it a hub for, among other possibilities, a student center, media center and classroom and conference center.

“Inspired by the University’s campus master plan, we will study the possibility of accomplishing multiple objectives — namely, preserve the campus’ pedestrian character by taking advantage of a central location for needed facilities, retain the integrity of a legendary stadium, improve the visual attractiveness of the exterior stadium wall, and enhance the game day experience for our football fans,” Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., the University’s president, said after presenting an outline of the initiative to members of the Board of Trustees at its spring meeting.

Potential areas of examination include constructing additions to the stadium to provide:

Space for classrooms, conferences, speakers, meetings, receptions and other events.

A student center for assembly and activity areas.

Resources for media, including facilities for the University’s expanding video and digital initiatives for academic purposes and external relations, as well as a press box.

A location for various hospitality functions for community and campus patrons.

Enhancements to the fan experience, including premium seating options.

The study will include representatives from the offices of the Provost, Student Affairs, Executive Vice President, University Relations and Architect, Notre Dame Athletics and other departments, as well as outside consultants.

Costs and other details related to possible projects will be unknown until specific plans — if any — are put in place. Under all circumstances, however, the University will keep the original stadium intact.

Notre Dame Stadium opened in 1930 and was expanded to its current configuration in 1997. One of the nation’s most iconic athletics venues, it is used fewer than 10 times annually for home football games, RecSports events, and the University Commencement Ceremony.

Notre Dame and NBC extend football contract to 2025

2013-04-18T13:15:00-04:00

The University of Notre Dame and NBC Sports have reached agreement on a new 10-year contract giving NBC the rights to televise Irish home football games from 2016 to 2025 and extending the partnership between the University and network to 35 years.

A joint announcement of the extension was made April 18 by Mark Lazarus, chairman of NBC Sports Group, and Notre Dame’s president, Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C.

“Coming off one of Notre Dame’s best and most dramatic seasons in decades, we could not be more proud to extend this historic partnership, which continues to be one of the most innovative in sports-media history,” Lazarus said. “We are particularly excited that this extension offers enhanced rights that allow us to bring Notre Dame Football to fans on more platforms than ever before.”

As it has since 2009, NBC Sports Digital will continue to live stream Fighting Irish home games for the web, mobile and tablets.

Father Jenkins noted the multiple benefits of the partnership with NBC.

“In addition to the national broadcast of our home football games, this longtime and valued collaboration with NBC has made a Notre Dame education possible to literally thousands of students,” Father Jenkins said. “We are delighted to extend our partnership to bring Irish football to our fans, to continue to help support financial aid, and to tell the Notre Dame story.”

Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C.

Revenues from the NBC contract have played a key role in Notre Dame’s financial aid endowment since the start of the relationship in 1991. University officers decided then to use a portion of the football television contract revenue for undergraduate scholarship endowment (not athletic scholarships). To date, some 6,300 Notre Dame undergraduate students have received nearly $80 million in aid from revenue generated through the NBC contract.

The University also has committed revenue from NBC to endow doctoral fellowships in its Graduate School and MBA scholarships in its Mendoza College of Business.

In addition to televising games, NBC has collaborated with Notre Dame on an award-winning series of two-minute halftime messages featuring University faculty and student research.

“While our relationship with NBC Sports is longstanding, the more recent merger between NBC and Comcast has opened up additional avenues to expand the breadth of Notre Dame-related sports programming on NBC platforms,” Notre Dame vice president and athletics director Jack Swarbrick said.

“Specifically, the evolution of the NBC Sports Network has provided opportunities for special programming featuring inside looks at our football team and several other Notre Dame sports programs and in-depth profiles on the unsung heroes of Notre Dame athletics. These are examples of the growth of our partnership, and we look forward to collaborating on additional projects and distribution strategies in seasons to come.”

Per the extension, the NBC Sports Group retains global media rights on all platforms to a minimum of seven Notre Dame home football games per year. As in the prior contract, it allows for occasional games to air on NBC Sports Network which is available in 80 million homes.

NBC has been televising Irish home games since 1991, and this marks the sixth of a series of agreements with Notre Dame. The original agreement covered the seasons from 1991 through 1995. The first five-year extension (announced in 1994) covered 1996 to 2000, the second extension (announced in May 1997) covered 2001 to 2005, the third extension (announced in December 2003) covered 2006 to 2010, and the fourth (announced in June 2008) covered 2011 to 2015.

Each of the initial three contracts featured a combined 30 home games over each five-year span. From 2011 through 2015, NBC will have televised 35 games over five years, due to the addition in several years of a seventh home game and/or an eighth off-site game.

NBC’s schedule of Notre Dame home games for the coming season features Temple (Aug. 31), Michigan State (Sept. 21), Oklahoma (Sept. 28), Arizona State in Dallas (Oct. 5), USC (Oct. 19), Navy (Nov. 2) and BYU (Nov. 23).

Notre Dame’s 'The Shirt' for 2013 to be unveiled Friday

2013-04-15T15:00:00-04:00

Coach Brian Kelly at The Shirt unveiling 2012.

One of the University of Notre Dame’s most visible traditions will be celebrated again Friday (April 19) as the 2013 version of “The Shirt” is unveiled during events beginning at 4 p.m. at the Hammes Bookstore on campus.

The celebration, which is open to the public, will include a variety of outdoor activities such as face painting, prizes and inflatables as well as performances by the Notre Dame Band, Glee Club, cheerleaders and Pom Squad. Notre Dame’s head football coach, Brian Kelly, along with the 2013 Shirt committee will unveil The Shirt during a stage presentation at 6 p.m. Details, a schedule and more information about the celebration and about The Shirt are available online.

Each year since 1990, when the first version of The Shirt was made available to Notre Dame students, alumni and fans, the item’s popularity and sales have increased. Proceeds provide funds for The Shirt Charity Fund, which supports students suffering from severe illnesses and facing high medical bills, as well as such student organizations as the Hall President’s Council and Habitat for Humanity.

Over the years, The Shirt, enthusiastically worn by students and spectators at nationally televised athletic events, has become a distinctive Notre Dame symbol.

In 1990, the 32,300 shirts sold generated more than $100,000 for Zhengde Wang, a Notre Dame graduate student from China who had been severely injured in an automobile accident. Last year, 165,000 shirts were sold, raising more than $700,000.

Contact: Catherine Simonson, csimonso@nd.edu

Play Like a Champion Today symposium to address ethics, abuse prevention

2013-04-12T16:00:00-04:00

The University of Notre Dame’s Play Like a Champion Today (PLACT) coach education program will host a symposium to help athletics administrators plan responsibly to ensure every child’s full protection from the tragedy of abuse.

A one-day symposium titled Championing Children through Collegiate Sport Camps will provide valuable information and tools to members of college athletic departments on April 26 (Friday) on the Notre Dame campus.

“In the aftermath of the NCAA’s Freeh Report and the tragic events at Penn State, it is timely to promote a new era of ethical awareness and responsibility in college athletics,” said Kristin Sheehan, co-director of the nationally recognized PLACT program. “One arena of critical importance is for athletic departments to ensure that their summer sports camps are safe as well as fun.”

“Camp coach counselors must be well prepared to protect the children entrusted to them,” said Clark Power, a Notre Dame psychology professor and founding co-director of PLACT. “Based on years of experience and extensive research, this symposium will help coaches understand what they need to do to respect all participants and create the most nurturing sport environment possible.”

The program directed by Sheehan and Power, part of Notre Dame’s Institute for Educational Initiatives, has provided character education clinics for coaches and parents since 2006, covering more than 30 American and Canadian cities. Sport-specific abuse awareness training has been a part of these clinics from their inception.

This symposium, for which registration is requested by April 19 (Friday), will feature presentations by experts from the legal profession, social work, developmental psychology and coaching education to explore the moral, legal and psychological issues related to abuse in sports. Speakers will include Sheehan and Power, along with Jill Bodensteiner, Notre Dame associate athletic director for compliance, and Mark Wilson, former director of camps and clinics for The Ohio State University Department of Athletics.

Registrants from college and university athletic departments will take away these benefits from the daylong event:

They will be prepared to present a one-hour clinic to summer camp coach counselors regarding the urgent moral and legal issues of abuse awareness and protection for children.
They will address the ethical principles and best practices that should inform coach counselors’ interactions with all athletes, including what constitutes abuse, the signs of abuse and when and how to report suspected abuse.
A presentation and instructional materials will help participants to efficiently implement a transparent, effective system for managing child welfare on their own campuses for summer sports camps.

Registration is available online. For information on participants’ eligibility for scholarship assistance, email plc@nd.edu.

Notre Dame to join ACC beginning in 2013-14 seasons

2013-03-12T11:00:00-04:00

The University of Notre Dame will join the Atlantic Coast Conference for athletic competition in all sports except football and hockey beginning with the upcoming 2013-14 seasons.

Notre Dame has been a member of the Big East Conference in most sports since 1995. The University announced Sept. 13 it would leave the Big East to join the ACC.

With the departure of the seven current non-football institutions — DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, St. John’s, Seton Hall and Villanova — effective July 1, Notre Dame and the Big East jointly agreed that it would be best for Notre Dame to depart at the same time.

“From the time of our decision to join the ACC we have stressed our commitment to ensuring that our departure was achieved in a collegial manner,” said Notre Dame vice president and director of athletics Jack Swarbrick. “This agreement realizes that intention and we are very grateful to the members of the Big East and Commissioner Mike Aresco for helping to facilitate this orderly and timely transition.”

While the vast majority of Notre Dame athletic teams will begin ACC play in 2013-14, the Irish football program remains independent. Beginning in 2014 Notre Dame will play five football games per season against ACC programs.

The Notre Dame hockey team, currently a member of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association in the final season for that league, joins Hockey East starting in 2013-14.

Notre Dame has 13 currently-competing teams that are nationally ranked – No. 1 women’s fencing, No. 2 women’s basketball, No. 2 men’s fencing, No. 3 men’s lacrosse, No. 6 women’s lacrosse, No. 12 hockey, No. 15 women’s tennis, No. 18 women’s swimming, No. 17 baseball, No. 22 women’s golf, No. 20 men’s swimming, No. 24 men’s basketball, and No. 27 men’s tennis.

Mary Hesburgh Flaherty to speak at breast cancer fundraiser

2013-01-22T15:00:00-05:00

Mary Hesburgh Flaherty

University of Notre Dame alumna Mary Hesburgh Flaherty, a breast cancer survivor and longtime supporter of the University, will be the featured speaker at the Pink Zone luncheon at 11 a.m. Feb. 2 (Saturday) at the Purcell Pavilion at Notre Dame. The luncheon will precede the annual Notre Dame women’s basketball Pink Zone game at 2 p.m. and is organized by the College of Science to recognize researchers and physicians in the fight against cancer.

Since graduating with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and business administration in 1979, Flaherty has served the University and the larger community in significant ways. She is a member of the Notre Dame Undergraduate Experience Advisory Council and has helped to develop student scholarships and funding for women’s services and programs through the Thanking Father Ted Foundation. Her uncle, Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., president emeritus of the University, will introduce her at the luncheon.

Flaherty is deeply committed to providing educational opportunities and to supporting health care. She is the chair of Saint John’s Hospital and Health Center board of directors, the former chair and a trustee emeritus at Marymount High School of Los Angeles, and a board member of Las Madrinas of the Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles. In addition, she has served the Westside Guild of the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles since 1991, has been a member of the Irene Dunne Guild of Saint John’s Health Center since 1987 and is an active member of St. Matthew’s Parish. Together with her husband, Notre Dame trustee James F. Flaherty III, a 1979 graduate of the University, she established a professorship to further the work of the Notre Dame Center for Children and Families. Flaherty lives in Los Angeles with her husband, and they have three children, Jim, a 2006 and 2007 Notre Dame graduate; Mary Catherine, a 2008 Notre Dame graduate; and Maureen, a current Notre Dame junior.

The luncheon is organized by the College of Science and the Notre Dame women’s basketball team in conjunction with local physicians. Physicians and researchers who fight against breast cancer daily in the hospital or in the lab will be recognized during the luncheon and the game. The women’s basketball team has played a major role in funding the Pink Zone initiative. Over the past four years, the Notre Dame women’s basketball team has contributed more than $450,000 to the fundraising effort.

Proceeds benefit the WBCA Pink Zone initiative, a global, unified effort of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) to assist in raising awareness and support for women with breast cancer. The funds are dispersed among several local nonprofit organizations through the Foundation of Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center to assist with breast cancer screenings, education and support as well as the national organization Kay Yow WBCA Cancer Fund. The late Kay Yow, the Fund’s namesake, was a past president and founding member of the WBCA who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1987 and passed away in 2009.

Tickets for the luncheon, which are available by calling the Notre Dame ticket office at 574-631-7356, are $100 each, or $150 per couple. Each ticket includes the luncheon, admission to the basketball game, a pre-game chalk talk by an Irish assistant coach, and refreshments at Club Naimoli during the game.

Contact: Marissa Gebhard, 574-631-4465, gebhard.3@nd.edu

Notre Dame in Miami: Pep rally and more

2013-01-06T07:00:00-05:00

MIAMI – Notre Dame off-the-field news and notes on BCS National Championship Game weekend, culminating Monday night when the Irish take on Alabama at Sun Life Stadium:

Lou Holtz speaks at pep rally

• Miami Beach officials estimated at least 20,000 fans attended the Notre Dame pep rally on South Beach on Saturday night (Jan. 5). Mike Golic, a former Irish football player and co-host of the ESPN Radio program “Mike & Mike in the Morning,” served as the emcee for the rally, and speakers include comedian Martin Short, the parent of two Notre Dame graduates and a member of the advisory council for the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center; former quarterback Joe Theismann; 1988 national champions Pat Terrell and Tony Rice; and Lou Holtz, head coach of the ’88 team.

“Alabama, I hope you’re listening, ’cause we’re comin’ for you,” said Theismann.

Holtz praised the University for showing that “we can be on top without compromising one thing academically, or our values.” He added: “As special as it was for other teams to play against Notre Dame, it was even better to play for Notre Dame.”

Rice joked that he’s “too old to play, but I’m so hyped up that I’m ready to go out there,” on Monday night.

• The Notre Dame cheerleaders spent time Saturday visiting patients at the Children’s Diagnostic Treatment Center in Fort Lauderdale.

• The Notre Dame leprechaun, senior Bryce Burton, transferred to the University after spending his first year at Indiana University. That puts him in good company. Notre Dame’s president and provost, Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., and Thomas G. Burish, respectively, both transferred into Notre Dame as sophomores.

• Everywhere you turn, souvenirs are available – in hotel lobbies, on street corners, in malls, along the beach and elsewhere. Notre Dame’s royalty revenue is up 32 percent over a year ago, though the officially licensed BCS merchandise does not factor into that equation.

• Two of the hardest working staff members here in Miami and for the last month have been Mary Anderson and Lauren Fox in special events. From arranging a variety of activities here, to transportation, event ticketing, meals, mementos and virtually everything else associated with the trip, they have worked nearly non-stop all day, nights and weekends since the Irish earned their place in the national championship game. In fact, they’ve even enlisted their spouses to help them this weekend at the Intercontinental Hotel.

• The Intercontinental has photo montages and video on screens inside and outside the hotel commemorating the 2012 Irish football team.

Visit photos.nd.edu to see images of Notre Dame in Miami.

Notre Dame in Miami: Arrival in Florida

2013-01-04T17:00:00-05:00

Notre Dame plane receives “orange carpet” welcome from members of the host Orange Bowl committee

Notre Dame off-the-field news and notes on BCS National Championship Game weekend:

• Some 300 members of the official Notre Dame traveling party to the national championship football game between the Irish and Alabama departed South Bend for South Beach a little after noon Friday (Jan. 4).

The travel party dropped off luggage between 8:30 and 10 a.m. at the Joyce Center, then gathered on the fifth floor of the Notre Dame Stadium press box before leaving in stages for the airport on seven buses.

After an uneventful flight, their Delta A330 charter flight landed at 2:40 p.m. and received an “orange carpet” welcome from members of the host Orange Bowl committee.

Another cavalcade of buses transported the faculty, staff and administrators and their families to a variety of hotels in Fort Lauderdale and Miami.

Among those in the travel party were members of the President’s Leadership Council, including Vice Presidents Rev. William Lies, C.S.C., Robert McQuade, Nick Entrikin and Lou Nanni; College of Science Dean Gregory Crawford and Notre Dame Law School Dean Nell Newton; Tricia Bellia, professor of law and chair of the Faculty Board on Athletics, and her husband, A. J. Bellia, professor of law; President Emeritus Rev. Edward A. Malloy, C.S.C.; and a wide array of staff from development, the Alumni Association, University Communications, and athletics.

• The temperature in South Bend at departure was about 20. It was 79 upon arrival in South Beach.

• The Wall Street Journal’s coverage of the sports world is high in quality but low in quantity. That’s why the four full pages of coverage of the Irish-Alabama game in Friday’s paper was especially noteworthy. The main headline called this matchup “The Biggest Game Ever,” and the package included seven stories, including “Notre Dame’s Holy Line,” an examination of the University’s Catholic identity.

• Legendary former Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz is featured in a commercial that will air during Monday night’s national championship game. Produced by Catholics Come Home Inc., the 30-second spot has aired during other bowl games this past week.

Miami events offer Notre Dame fans opportunities to celebrate

2013-01-02T14:00:00-05:00

When the the Fighting Irish of the University of Notre Dame take on the Crimson Tide of the University of Alabama in the BCS National Championship football game Jan. 7 (Monday) at Sun Life Stadium in Miami, it will be the culmination of a three-day celebration that will include a number of events for alumni and fans.

Notre Dame Pep Rally — 7 p.m., Jan. 5 (Saturday), Ocean Drive between Sixth and Ninth Streets, Miami. The Notre Dame Marching Band, cheerleaders and leprechaun will be in attendance, along with speakers including former Notre Dame head football coach Lou Holtz; legendary players Joe Theismann, Tony Rice, Pat Terrell and Mike Golic Sr.; and comedian Martin Short. Free and open to the public.

Discover Championship Fan Experience — noon to 8 p.m., Jan. 5 and 6 (Saturday and Sunday), Ocean Drive between Sixth and Ninth Streets, Miami. Presented by Bud Light and Dr Pepper, this celebration will feature live music, interactive games, a zip line, contests and much more. Free and open to the public.

Notre Dame Masses — 10 a.m. Jan. 6 (Sunday), in two locations: the Grand Ballroom of the Intercontinental Hotel, 100 Chopin Plaza, Miami; and the ballroom of the Bonaventure Resort and Spa, 250 Racquet Club Rd., Weston, Fla. Notre Dame’s president, Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., will be celebrant and homilist at the Intercontinental, and Rev. Paul Kollman, C.S.C., executive director of Notre Dame’s Center for Social Concerns, will preside over Mass at the Bonaventure Resort. Free and open to the public.

National Championship Game Service Project — noon to 4:30 p.m., Jan. 6 (Sunday), across from Mount Zion Baptist Church, 301 Northwest Ninth St., Miami. In partnership with Roots in the City, volunteers from Notre Dame and Alabama will come together to build an urban garden, transforming a city lot into rows of raised garden beds and beginning the planting process. Notre Dame alumni and friends wishing to help should register by calling or emailing Katie Rutledge, service programs director for the Notre Dame Alumni Association, at 574-631-6723 or katie.rutledge@nd.edu.

Notre Dame Gameday — Jan. 7 (Monday), noon to 4 p.m., Bayfront Park, 301 N. Biscayne Blvd., Miami. Notre Dame alumni, family and friends are invited to join in this festival that will feature live music by Billboard Chart-topping Celtic band Gaelic Storm as well as performances by the Notre Dame Marching Band and cheerleaders and special celebrity guest speakers (including Martin Short, Regis Philbin, Dick Vitale, Cris Collinsworth, Mike Lee, Ricky Watters, Justin Tuck and Luther Bradley). Pre-registration was encouraged but is now closed. A limited inventory of tickets will be available at the door for $100/person (free for children under 12).

A complete listing of events and activities can be found online at gameday.nd.edu. The BCS Championship Game kicks off at 8:30 p.m. EST in Sun Life Stadium. The game will be televised on ESPN.

Notre Dame and Alabama to join forces for Miami service project

2012-12-23T19:25:00-05:00

Garden planted by Roots in the City

Alumni and fans from the University of Notre Dame will join their counterparts from the University of Alabama for a service project in Miami in conjunction with the BCS National Championship football game between the two institutions, to be played Jan. 7 (Monday) at Sun Life Stadium in Miami.

In partnership with Roots in the City, an organization based in the Overtown neighborhood of Miami that aims to promote community development and beautification in inner-city areas, volunteers will come together Jan. 6 (Sunday) to build an urban garden, transforming a city lot into rows of raised garden beds and beginning the planting process.

“We are thrilled to partner with our friends from Alabama and the wonderful people at Roots in the City to roll up our sleeves to build a garden for the Overtown community,” said Dolly Duffy, executive director of the Notre Dame Alumni Association. “This project will allow us to continue our long tradition of service in locations around the country – and around the world – as we’ve traveled with the Notre Dame football team and fans for bowl and home-away-from-home games through the years. It will be inspiring and fun to literally get our hands dirty for such a worthy cause in Miami.”

Participants will meet at noon across from the Mount Zion Baptist Church (301 Northwest 9th St., Miami) for the project, which will last approximately four hours and conclude with a celebration for participants and members of the local community. Notre Dame alumni and friends wishing to help should register by calling or emailing Katie Rutledge, service programs director for the Notre Dame Alumni Association, at 574-631-6723 or katie.rutledge@nd.edu.

The Notre Dame Marching Band and cheerleaders are expected to drop by during the project, along with other special guests.

Founded in 1994, Roots in the City is a nonprofit, community-based organization that is focused on community development, creating jobs and beautifying Miami’s inner city. The organization has established several community gardens and tree nurseries in Overtown.

Contact: Katie Rutledge, Notre Dame Alumni Association, 574-631-6723, katie.rutledge@nd.edu

Chicago Shamrock Series events to include four academic programs

2012-09-24T15:10:00-04:00

As Fighting Irish fans descend upon Chicago for the Shamrock Series off-site home football game between the Notre Dame and Miami on Oct. 6 (Saturday), the University will present four academic events highlighting various topics of interest, including the national media, the economy, U.S. foreign policy and the role of religion in politics today.

All events are free and open to the public and will be held at the JW Marriott, 151 W. Adams St., Chicago.

Scheduled academic events include:

“Notre Dame Faculty in the Media,” 2 p.m., Oct. 4 (Thursday), Grand Ballroom B & C. This event will feature commentary and discussion by Notre Dame faculty members who have worked extensively with news media. Panelists will share their experience working with print, broadcast and online media to offer their expertise on a wide variety of important national and international topics. Panelists include Kevin Bowyer, Schubmehl-Prein Professor of Computer Science and Engineering; Jessica Hellmann, associate director of biological sciences; George Lopez, Hesburgh Professor of Peace Studies; Mary Ellen O’Connell, Short Professor of Law; and Ann Tenbrunsel, Martin Professor of Business Ethics. The panel will be moderated by Kate Sullivan, a 1998 Notre Dame graduate and news anchor at CBS Chicago. Registration is requested. Sign up here or call 574-631-7367.

“International Development and U.S. Foreign Policy,” 5 p.m., Oct. 4 (Thursday), Grand Ballroom B & C. Sponsored by the Ford Family Program in Human Development Studies and Solidarity, the Kellogg Institute for International Studies and the Initiative for Global Development, this event will feature two panelists: Paul Collier, renowned development economist and the director of the Centre for the Study of African Economies at University of Oxford, U.K.; and Sean Callahan, executive vice president of Overseas Operations at Catholic Relief Services. The discussion will focus on the role of U.S. foreign policy in international development and will include a lively debate on what that role should be, what factors should be considered in policy making, and what impact should be expected as policies are implemented.The event will be followed by a cocktail reception and will be streamed live online at" kellogg.nd.edu/livestream/":kellogg.nd.edu/livestream/.

“The Economy Now: A Roundtable of Notre Dame Economists,” 10 a.m., Oct. 5 (Friday), Lincoln Room. Beginning with an introduction by John McGreevy, I.A. O’Shaughnessy Dean of the College of Arts and Letters, the event will include a faculty roundtable followed by questions from the audience. The event will be moderated by Christopher Waller, professor and senior vice president and director of research at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; and speakers will include Notre Dame faculty members Timothy Fuerst, William and Dorothy O’Neill Professor of Economics; Nelson Mark, Alfred C. DeCrane Jr. Professor of International Economics; Eric Sims, Michael P. Grace II Assistant Professor of Economics; and Michael Pries, associate professor of economics and director of graduate studies. This event will include a continental breakfast.

“Religion in the Public Square,” 2 p.m. Oct. 5 (Friday), Lincoln Room. Hosted by University Communications and moderated by Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Executive Editor David Shribman, this event will feature a panel of experts including Gerald Seib, Washington bureau chief of the Wall Street Journal; David Campbell, John Cardinal O’Hara, C.S.C., Professor of Political Science at Notre Dame; Michael D. McCurry, former White House press secretary; and Julie Cooper, professor of political science at the University of Chicago. Registration is requested. Sign up here or call 574-631-6798.

A complete listing of the weekend’s events and activities can be found online at gameday.nd.edu.

Notre Dame to join Atlantic Coast Conference; football stays independent but brings 5 games annually to ACC

2012-09-12T09:55:00-04:00

The University of Notre Dame accepted an invitation today (Sept. 12) to become a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in all sports except football.

Most Notre Dame athletics programs have been members of the Big East Conference since 1995 after previously competing in the Midwestern Collegiate Conference, North Star Conference and as independents. Jack Swarbrick, vice president and director of athletics at Notre Dame, said the University will work with the Big East and ACC on a timetable to transfer athletic membership.

“We have monitored the changing conference landscape for many months and have concluded that moving to the ACC is the best course of action for us,” Swarbrick said. “This will enable us to maintain our historic independence in football, join in the ACC’s non-BCS bowl package, and provide a new and extremely competitive home for our other sports.

“We are immensely grateful to the members of the Big East, which has been a wonderful home for us the past 17 years. We also think that the conference has a strong future under the leadership of its new commissioner, Mike Aresco.”

“The ACC was founded on the cornerstones of balancing academics, athletics and integrity,” said Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner John Swofford. “Our partnership with Notre Dame only strengthens this long-standing commitment. Notre Dame enhances the league’s unique blend of public and private institutions that are international in scope. The collective alumni and fan bases cover the entire country with exceptionally strong roots up and down the Atlantic Coast. This is a terrific milestone in the evolution of the ACC and showcases tremendous solidarity and vision by our Council of Presidents.”

In addition to the athletic component, Notre Dame’s president, Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., said the ACC offers other advantages.

“The ACC is composed of some of the most highly respected universities in the country, and we at Notre Dame look forward to joining them,” Father Jenkins said. “With a mix of institutions – many of which are also private, similar to Notre Dame in size, and committed to excellence in research and undergraduate education – the ACC is an exceptionally good fit for us academically, as well as athletically.”

Father Jenkins added: “It is our hope that, over time, we will be able to explore the possibility of academic collaboration as well as athletic competition with these outstanding universities.”

“We are committed to keeping the Atlantic Coast Conference a vibrant and competitive league dedicated to ensuring the appropriate balance of academics, athletics and integrity,” the ACC Council of Presidents said in a joint statement. “The addition of Notre Dame further strengthens the rich tradition and culture of the ACC as well as allowing for future academic collaboration and we enthusiastically welcome them into the league.”

As part of the partnership with the ACC, Notre Dame has agreed to annually play five ACC opponents in football and each conference member at least once every three years.

“This approach allows us to help promote ACC football while maintaining our traditional rivalries and a national schedule,” said Swarbrick, who added that Notre Dame will be a part of the ACC’s non-BCS bowl package.

The move to the ACC does not affect Notre Dame’s longstanding partnership with NBC Sports. The change in affiliation is “essentially revenue neutral,” Swarbrick said. “Financial implications were not a motivation.”

Current ACC members are Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Miami, North Carolina, NC State, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest. Pittsburgh and Syracuse will join the ACC on July 1, 2013.

Among the 12 current ACC institutions, seven rank among the top 38 universities in the U.S. News & World Report survey “America’s Best Colleges” and five are members of the Association of American Universities.

ACC institutions are located in four of the top 10 most populated metropolitan areas in the country and, once Pittsburgh and Syracuse become members, will be in nine states up and down the eastern third of the United States.

Since the conference’s inception in 1953, ACC schools have captured 127 NCAA championships, including 67 in women’s competition and 60 in men’s. In addition, NCAA individual titles have gone to ACC student-athletes 145 times in men’s competition and 104 times in women’s action. Four conference schools won NCAA championships in 2011-12, and two finished in the top 10 in last year’s Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup standings.

The Notre Dame football team is among the most storied in college sports, with 11 consensus national championships, seven Heisman Trophy winners, and more All-Americans and Hall of Famers than any other program in the country.

Notre Dame’s NCAA Graduation Success Rate (GSR) figure for all student-athletes has ranked No. 1 among FBS institutions each of the last four years, and the Irish football team’s GSR has ranked No. 1 for three straight years.

Within the Big East Conference, Notre Dame has won 116 titles, more than any other school since the University’s entry in 1995-96, including 14 in women’s swimming and diving, 11 in women’s soccer, 11 in women’s tennis, nine in rowing, nine in volleyball, eight in men’s golf, and eight in men’s outdoor track and field.

Nationally, the Irish women’s soccer team and combined fencing teams won national championships in the 2010-11 academic year, the women’s basketball team has played for the national title the last two years, men’s basketball has earned three consecutive NCAA Tournament berths, and the men’s lacrosse team has played in the final four in two of the last three years.

The Notre Dame hockey team will move to Hockey East after a final season in 2012-13 in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association.

Contact: Dennis Brown, assistant vice president for public information and communications, dbrown7@nd.edu

Service work lands Notre Dame senior on magazine cover

2012-09-10T15:00:00-04:00

Lindsay Brown on cover of October 2012 Seventeen Magazine

Lindsay Brown, a University of Notre Dame senior majoring in political science, has won Seventeen Magazine’s “Pretty Amazing” contest, which celebrates young women who have done something exceptional.

Brown was recognized for her service work with girls in Nepal and other countries, her involvement in the nonprofit organization “She’s the First,” and the creation of her own nonprofit project. As the contest winner, Brown received a $20,000 scholarship and will be featured on the cover of the October issue of Seventeen.

A former Notre Dame soccer player, Brown was selected from among 35,000 nominees ages 15-22 by a combination of readers’ votes and a panel of judges, including Seventeen Editor-in-Chief Ann Shoket, actress Emma Roberts and celebrity blogger Jared Eng. (Watch a video of Brown finding out from her Notre Dame team that she had won.)

“I was just in shock at first," Brown told the Orange County Register about learning she had won. "When I thought about my girls in Nepal, Cambodia and Kenya, the shock turned into exhilaration. Thirteen million girls are going to see this magazine.”

With the full support of Coach Randy Waldrum and her teammates, Brown voluntarily left the soccer team last year so she could focus her extracurricular attention entirely on helping those less fortunate after returning from an internship in Nepal, where she taught at Kopila Valley Primary School and formed the school’s first girls’ soccer team.

Brown has also worked the past three years with She’s the First, which supports the tuition and education of girls in the developing world. In fall 2010, Brown and her teammates, who went on to win the NCAA national championship that year, sold tie-dye cupcakes at a campus bake sale and raised enough money to sponsor three girls at Kopila Valley.

The next fall Brown shared her cupcake recipe with high schools and colleges around the country through the She’s the First website, starting a movement of more than 100 schools in 35 states for a national tie-dye cupcake sale that November. Brown and She’s the First raised more than $22,000, enough to sponsor the education of 48 girls at Kopila Valley.

After leaving the soccer team, Brown co-founded S.E.G.W.A.Y., which stands for Soccer Empowering Girls Worldwide and You. The project aims to connect female soccer athletes in the U.S. with girls in third world countries to empower them through soccer, and also sponsors soccer programs in Nepal and Cambodia.

Brown said she entered the contest to put girls in Nepal and other countries on the radar for American girls and is excited that her achievements will reflect the education she has received at Notre Dame.

“I really don’t think this cupcake sale and campaign would have been as successful at another university, because the Notre Dame community understands the value of helping others,” Brown told the Observer. “When I saw the reality that girls still don’t go to school and it’s taboo for them to play soccer, I wasn’t OK with that. Notre Dame gave me the tools to change it.”

Not simply a party: Tailgaters contribute to team victory and even university brand, new study shows

2012-09-06T08:00:00-04:00

As tailgaters everywhere ramp up for another weekend of college football, University of Notre Dame marketing professor and cultural anthropologist John Sherry has just concluded first-of-its-kind research that shows those huge pre-game parking lot parties build community, nurture tradition, and actually contribute to a college or university brand — at least for the fans.

In their study, “A Cultural Analysis of Tailgating,” Sherry and co-author Tonya Bradford, assistant professor of marketing at Notre Dame, examine American culture and our obsession with football, which Sherry calls “the best metaphor we have for describing American culture.” He likens tailgating to ancient harvest festivals, during which people enjoy the fall weather and abundance of the summer harvest with massive consumption and celebration before the arrival of winter. But tailgating is a different kind of ritual than any other, says Sherry, even though there’s the atmosphere of a festival or carnival.

Sherry, who studies the socio-cultural and symbolic dimensions of consumption and the cultural ecology of marketing, refers to tailgate parties as “vestavals,” named after Vesta, the Roman goddess of the hearth and home.

John Sherry

“People literally turn their households inside out, bringing their kitchens and living rooms to the pavement outside the stadium, so that thousands of mini households are on public display on game-day,” says Sherry. “Creating this private space in a public venue is an example of a ‘consumption encampment,’ during which consumers get together and ‘camp out’ as with the Occupy Wall Street movement or camping out before a Jimmy Buffett concert. But with tailgating, fans are not only establishing family rituals that can pass through many generations, they are also becoming active participants in the game-day experience.”

The food, the furniture, even the photos or mementos of deceased family members that fans bring along all play important roles in the experience.

“Tailgating is actually a very complex social, community-building exercise, not simply a wild party, during which fans are able to connect with and actually help create their school’s brand,” Sherry says. “Tailgating, for the fans, is literally helping to create Notre Dame, or Michigan, or USC.”

Grounding their research at Notre Dame, Sherry and Bradford, and a group of student research assistants, also examine rival teams’ tailgates at Notre Dame, as well as tailgates at other college campuses. Sherry says all are rooted in tradition and celebration, but there are notable differences. For example, in the south, tailgaters dress formally in tuxedos and ball gowns. On the coast, tailgates occur in boats and yachts outside stadiums.

Sherry says tailgating is primarily associated with football and hasn’t caught on with other American sports for a number of reasons, including the autumn setting. He says football encapsulates all the things about America that make America distinct, and tailgating is a nice complement to that.

“If you think of a sport as being a spectacle, the traditional belief is that most people’s engagement with spectacle is pretty passive, and they are entertained by it,” Sherry says. “People mostly consume spectacle, but tailgating is all fan-generated. They understand it as a contribution to the team’s victory. They are literally surrounding the stadium with their expressions of loyalty and love, and it’s much more communal.”

Sherry joined the Notre Dame marketing faculty in 2005 as the Herrick Professor of Marketing and chair of the department. For the two previous decades, he was a member of the marketing department at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Sherry is a Fellow of the American Anthropological Association as well as the Society for Applied Anthropology, and past president of the Association for Consumer Research.

Contact: John Sherry, 574-631-6484 or jsherry@nd.edu

VIDEO: Here come the Irish

2012-08-29T17:00:00-04:00

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Notre Dame co-hosts Charity Classic golf tournament

2012-08-21T13:00:00-04:00

The University of Notre Dame College of Science and women’s basketball team are teaming with Knollwood Country Club to offer the 2012 Charity Classic at Knollwood Country Club on Aug. 24 (Friday). The Charity Classic golf tournament will support Notre Dame’s Pink Zone initiative, the Muscular Dystrophy Association and the Employee Partners Care Foundation.

The golf tournament, which includes lunch, dinner and 18 holes of golf for $125 per person or $450 per foursome, is one of several events that support Notre Dame’s Pink Zone initiative, which raised more than $200,000 this past year, four times the amount raised when it started four years ago. The Pink Zone effort includes T-shirt sales starting in December, a 24-hour Spin-A-Thon, a luncheon and silent auction on the day of a Pink Zone women’s basketball game, and corporate and individual donations.

The Pink Zone initiative is a global, unified effort of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association to raise awareness and support for women with breast cancer. In addition to support for cancer research, money raised from Pink Zone events supports the Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center Foundation, which provides mammograms to uninsured women, and the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, a partnership between the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association and the V Foundation for Cancer Research.

Women’s basketball Head Coach Muffet McGraw will join the fourth annual Charity Classic at the club in Granger. Knollwood Country Club has supported Pink Zone for the past two years with Spin-A-Thons at the club.

Contact: Rhonda Beemer, 574-344-2511, Rhonda.Bremer@ourclub.com

Notre Dame to celebrate academics, faith and tradition during Dublin game

2012-08-21T07:00:00-04:00

When the Fighting Irish of the University of Notre Dame meet the Midshipmen of Navy on Sept. 1 (Saturday) at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland, it will be the latest installment in a long American football tradition for the two institutions.

The visit will also celebrate Notre Dame’s enduring Irish heritage and its modern-day engagement in Ireland, highlighted by an array of events that will bring a taste of the University’s educational, intellectual, faith and cultural mission to its host country, and offer thousands of visiting fans opportunities to learn about, explore and enjoy Ireland.

Scheduled events in Dublin include:

Academic programs:

“The Future of Energy: Dreams and Responsibilities,” 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Aug. 30 (Thursday), Science Gallery, Trinity College. Energy experts from around the world will discuss the future of energy — clean fossil fuels, next-generation solar applications and other renewable energy solutions. They will cover current systems, promising technologies and the responsibilities that accompany the development of this new knowledge. Free and open to the public. Registration required.

“1916 Dublin,” 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Aug. 30 (Thursday), Royal Irish Academy. Scholars from Notre Dame and Ireland will discuss the historical, political and social impact of the 1916 Irish rebellion. The Keough-Naughton Institute for Irish Studies will also showcase its forthcoming TV documentary on 1916 at this event. Media wishing to attend should contact Julie Hail Flory at jflory@nd.edu.

Notre Dame: The Irish Connections, 4-5:30 p.m., Aug. 30 (Thursday), O’Connell House, 58 Merrion Square. The annual Hibernian Lecture, presented by Notre Dame’s Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism, will feature Kevin Whelan, director of Notre Dame’s Dublin Centre. It will analyze the long-standing historical connections between Notre Dame and Ireland, and explore the more recent linkages of the “Fighting Irish” with the island. Sold out. Media wishing to attend should contact Julie Hail Flory at jflory@nd.edu.

“Ireland in Transition: Contemporary Challenges and Opportunities,” 3-4:30 p.m., Aug. 31 (Friday), Examination Hall, Trinity College Dublin. This roundtable discussion will focus on how a rapidly changing Ireland fits into the wider world today and will discuss issues such as culture, the economy, politics, education, the Catholic Church and the European Union. Free and open to the public. Registration required.

Religious events:

Mass of Thanksgiving, 9 a.m., Sept. 1 (Saturday), Dublin Castle Court Yard, enter through Palace Street Pedestrian Entrance (off Dame Street). Dublin Archbishop Diarmuid Martin will preside and preach; concelebrants include Papal Nuncio Charles J. Brown, Class of 1981; Notre Dame President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C.; and Superior General of the Congregation of Holy Cross Rev. Richard Warner, C.S.C. This outdoor Mass will be screened on Irish national television. Free and open to the Notre Dame extended family — standing room only.

Pilgrim’s Mass, 11 a.m., Sept. 2 (Sunday), St. Mary’s Church, Haddington Road. St. Mary’s is one of the most historic churches in Dublin, and a recent restoration has restored it to pristine condition. The Notre Dame Folk Choir will provide the liturgical music for the occasion. Open to the public.

Notre Dame Family Pilgrimage, 7 a.m.-midnight, Sept. 3 (Monday). A free pilgrimage to the West of Ireland to climb the spectacular Holy Mountain, Croagh Patrick. After climbing Croagh Patrick, the pilgrimage continues by bus to the birthplace of Rev. Patrick Peyton, C.S.C., the “Rosary Priest,” in Attymass, County Mayo. An alternate route will include a stop at the Shrine at Knock. Registration required.

Tours:

Tours of O’Connell House, times vary, Aug. 29-31, 58 Merrion Square. Daily tours will be offered of historic O’Connell House on Merrion Square, home of the Keough-Naughton Notre Dame Dublin Centre. Free and open to the public. Registration required through oconnellhouse@nd.edu.

VIP tours of the Irish Parliament, times vary, Aug. 29-31, Leinster House. Twice daily, free and open to the public.

General events:

Tennis match, 2 p.m., Aug. 31 (Friday), Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club. Notre Dame men vs. Ireland Davis Cup team. Tickets are $15 for general admission.

Notre Dame: A Welcome Home, 6-10 p.m., Aug. 31 (Friday), O2 Arena. This top-class show merges the best of the American and the Irish traditions. The O2 Arena will rock with this exciting event showcasing the Band of the Fighting Irish, Notre Dame Folk Choir and cheerleaders — and the very best of Irish music, song, dance and literature. The event will be screened live on Irish national television. Sold out. Media wishing to attend to cover the event should contact Julie Hail Flory at jflory@nd.edu.

Notre Dame Temple Bar Tailgate, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Sept. 1 (Saturday), Temple Bar district. There will be music, special performances, street performers, food and a unique chance to sample Irish culture. Open to the public.

Parade, 11 a.m., Sept. 1 (Saturday), from Temple Bar to the Central Bank Plaza (between Dame Street and Temple Bar Street) — Featuring the Band of the Fighting Irish. Open to the public. Dublin Bus will provide free public bus transfers to Aviva Stadium from Temple Bar.

A complete listing of events and registration options is available online at http://gameday.nd.edu.

The Notre Dame-Navy football game kicks off at 2 p.m. in Dublin (9 a.m. EDT). CBS Sports will telecast the game live in the United States, and ESPN America will broadcast the game in 63 other countries around the world.

Play Like a Champion Today, Athletics to travel to Uganda to promote youth sports

2012-05-14T14:50:00-04:00

As most college students are packing to return home for summer vacation, 12 University of Notre Dame students will be leaving to share the experience of sports with the children of Uganda. This trip, sponsored by Play Like a Champion Today (PLACT) as part of the Institute for Educational Initiatives and by the Department of Athletics will focus on promoting youth sports as well as educational research.

Heading this international effort are Kevin Dugan, manager of youth and community programs for the athletics department, and Clark Power, professor of education and psychology and founder of PLACT, a program developed to champion character development through youth sports. “The purpose of the whole effort is to work with the Catholic Church and the (Ugandan) Ministry of Education and Sports to share ideas on how sports can be used as a platform for positive social development,” Dugan said.

The group of students, led by Dugan and Power, will arrive in Uganda’s capital city, Kampala, to meet with Penny Kabenge, secretary general of the Uganda Olympic Committee, and then continue on to Kkindu, a small village outside the city of Masaka, and Jinja over a two-week period. During this time, the students will assist with PLACT research, run a variety of sports camps for children and provide support during PLACT sessions specifically adapted for Ugandan youth and their world of sports.

Also involved with PLACT Uganda are Notre Dame football head coach Brian Kelly and his wife, Paqui, who provide support through the Kelly Cares Foundation. When interviewed on this initiative, Brian Kelly said, “My wife, Paqui, was passionate about this effort and, as it relates to athletics, we’re committed to anything we can do to generate that kind of camaraderie and bring people together.”

Both Dugan and Power believe this Notre Dame trip will expose students to a very different version of Uganda than that portrayed in “Kony 2012,” a film that went viral in March. “I think our students will really be encouraged by the talents and gifts of Ugandan youth,” Dugan said. “We have been very thoughtful about engaging the people of Uganda in ways that complement what they are already doing there to improve physical education in schools, and providing more outlets for personal and character development through sports.”

Promoting that exact outcome is what led to the alliance of Athletics and PLACT staff two years ago. This is the second trip connecting the Athletics Department and PLACT, and all involved hope this service and educational opportunity will grow in coming years. This year, in addition to introducing PLACT to Ugandan children, Power will also conduct a two-day workshop with Uganda Martyrs University, where he is working on a joint research project with faculty and staff: studying the impact of sports education on child development in that nation. Power explained, “The PLACT model has had great success in North America, and we look forward to our Ugandan partnership and exploring how it can make a difference around the world.”

This trip is the product of a year’s collaboration with the Catholic Church and the Ministry of Education and Sports in Uganda. In preparation for this trip, Notre Dame students completed two prerequisite courses focusing on the social foundations of coaching, sports and development, and participated in an interview process with Dugan. The trip itself is part of ongoing coursework that will conclude in the fall.

Dugan and Power want the group to approach their efforts in Uganda with a great deal of humility and passion. “If we walk humbly and passionately, then our presence can help support the work of the government and the church to use sports as a form of growth and development for the children of Uganda,” Dugan expressed. Power added, “This trip is an outstanding result of Play Like a Champion Today and the Athletic Department’s commitment to positively changing people’s lives through sports, our students’ natural zeal for service and the University’s commitment to promoting social justice around the world.”

Notre Dame’s 'The Shirt' for 2012 to be unveiled Friday

2012-04-18T14:30:00-04:00

One of the University of Notre Dame’s most visible traditions will be celebrated again Friday (April 20) as the 2012 version of “The Shirt” is unveiled during events beginning at 3:30 p.m. at the Hammes Bookstore on campus.

The celebration, which is open to the public, will include a variety of outdoor activities such as face painting, prizes and inflatables as well as performances by the Notre Dame Band, Glee Club, cheerleaders and Pom Squad. Notre Dame’s head football coach, Brian Kelly, will unveil The Shirt during a stage presentation at 6 p.m.

Details, a schedule and more information about the celebration and about The Shirt are available online.

Each year since 1990, when the first version of The Shirt was made available to Notre Dame students, alumni and fans, the item’s popularity and sales have increased. Proceeds provide funds for The Shirt Charity Fund, which supports students suffering from severe illnesses and facing high medical bills as well as such student organizations as the Hall President’s Council and Habitat for Humanity.

Over the years, The Shirt, enthusiastically worn by students and spectators at nationally televised athletic events, has become a distinctive Notre Dame symbol.

Contact: Daniel Ogg, dogg@nd.edu

Global Football and Play Like A Champion Today partner to create character award

2012-03-05T13:00:00-05:00

Global Football and the Play Like A Champion Today Educational Series (PLC) have partnered to create a character award to recognize athletes participating in the Global Ireland Football Tournament (GIFT) 2012 in Ireland this summer.

PLC is an affiliate of the Institute for Educational Initiatives at the University of Notre Dame and is a program for teaching, outreach and research. Its mission is to develop the whole person through sports in a moral community by producing and delivering character-oriented, research-based educational programs for coaches, parents, athletes and administrators.

Each of the 10 high schools and two universities whose football teams will travel from the United States to play their 2012 season-opening game in Ireland on Aug. 31 (Friday) will be asked to nominate one athlete for the award before heading overseas.

The PLC Character Award will then be highlighted at a private banquet hosted by PricewaterhouseCoopers on Aug. 30 (Thursday) in Dublin, and the award will be presented at the Pre-Game Tailgate at the UCD Bowl Stadium before Notre Dame plays Navy at the Aviva Stadium on Sept. 1. PLC will offer a special presentation to Dublin-area coaches, teachers and students, and the traveling GIFT schools’ families and staff will also be invited.

“As a Notre Dame alum and Monogram Club member, I was impressed when the Play Like a Champion Today program was first initiated in 2006,” said Global Football President Patrick Steenberge. “I have followed with keen interest their development and impact on student athletes, coaches and families across America, and am extremely proud to have them now as a working partner in Ireland for the Global Ireland Football Tournament.

“Together we will work to carry their positive message overseas, and recognize one top player per participating GIFT team for his character, then name one of them with the PLC/Global Football Character Award for GIFT 2012.”

Kristin Sheehan, former Notre Dame cheerleader and ND Monogram winner, is the program director for PLC. She said: “Sport provides an ideal setting to develop the moral and spiritual character of young people. The PLC Character Award will applaud student athletes who possess and demonstrate the soul of a champion.

“These athletes are driven team leaders, disciplined and focused in their sport and respected by their team and larger community for their teamwork, integrity and service. Play Like a Champion Today is honored to share our champion philosophy with coaches, parents and athletes in Ireland through partnership with Global Football, a true champion-centered program.”

Three American football showcases featuring a total of 12 teams from Arizona, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas and Wisconsin will be played at Parnell Park in Dublin, Páirc Tailteann in Navan, and at a third venue still to be announced as part of the GIFT 2012 event. The games will be played on Aug. 31 at 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., on the eve of the Emerald Isle Classic at the AVIVA Stadium between Notre Dame and Navy.

Tickets for all GIFT 2012 events, which each offer six hours worth of top-quality American football action, will go on sale March 15, priced 15 euros for adults and 10 euros for students, with free admission for children age 12 and younger.

Under the guidance of President Patrick Steenberge, a former Notre Dame quarterback and high school All-American at Erie Cathedral Prep, Global Football has produced football games in 19 nations during the past 16 years. Working partners include American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Pop Warner, NFL, Super Bowl Host Committees, USA Football, Notre Dame, Penn State, CONADEIP Mexico, Tanzania Sports Council and dozens of NCAA Division III colleges as well as National Football Federations worldwide.

An innovative coach and parent education program that is transforming the culture of sports today, Play Like A Champion Today offers an athlete-centered, research-based approach to coaching and sport parenting by offering interactive coach clinics, parent workshops and athlete character-building initiatives.

The National Governing Body for American Football in Ireland, the Irish American Football Association is recognized by the Irish Sports Council and the Federation of Irish Sports. It is affiliated to the European Federation of American Football and the International Federation of American Football. The Irish American Football League plays adult, full-contact American football U.S. college football rules and has also established an 8v8 league to allow new teams to progress.

A leader in university and sports travel management, Anthony Travel plays a critical role in the success of the Emerald Isle Classic and Global Ireland Football Tournament and is providing more than 10,000 guests with comprehensive travel solutions to Ireland.