National Signing Day has come and gone and Notre Dame football fans around the country continue to recover from the hangover of the one last hurrah before the inevitable off-season lull. Broken only briefly by a short-lived Spring “dog and pony show” in which only die-hard fans trek to Notre Dame Stadium to brave the unpredictable northern Indiana weather and catch a glimpse of what …

Part 2 of this series of articles will cover the effects of scheduling and the benefit that playing home games have on a program, and how these areas have affected Notre Dame. While Part 1 focused on the player impact on a program, recruiting and development—something the coach and his staff have greater control over—this article specifically looks at factors that tend to be tied …

It’s been no secret that Notre Dame has had a string of sub-par football coaches. For 14 years, the school has bounced back and forth like a pinball from one coach to the next. The last truly successful coach for the Irish was Lou Holtz. His career at Notre Dame spanned 11 seasons: a pretty respectable tenure. But, the most impressive thing about Holtz and his …

The possibility of sanctions to our respected rivals USC and Michigan makes me flashback to Notre Dame’s only major NCAA sanction in its history a decade ago. Call it PTSD, but the similarities and obvious dissimilarities combined with the agony of the process haunt me.

Notre Dame’s NCAA Infractions, 1999

The majority of Notre Dame’s NCAA violations involved a South Bend bookkeeper, Kimberly Dunbar, who …

We want to believe the coaches our universities hire are committed to us. We use words like loyalty to position ourselves on the high ground to throw stones at those leaving town for another job. We’re hurt and cry that our lifelong values are offended.

But, come on, really. We’re as likely to throw that coach under the bus unless he delivers to us, too.…

When trying to get a high school football recruit to come to Notre Dame, one of the biggest draws is the added exposure that player will receive, not only from the fans across the nation, but professional scouts as well. Storied history? Check. Historical significance? Check. Facilities that are second to none? Check. A schedule that covers the entire nation (as well as other countries)? …

Since the press conference held by Notre Dame’s Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick last Monday announcing the departure of Charlie Weis, the entire Notre Dame fan base has been on the edge of their seat, constantly checking the internet and ESPN, to see if any head way has been made in the search for the next head coach of the football program. Meanwhile, Swarbrick is working …

Before Charlie Weis was officially announced as the new head coach at Notre Dame, he was preceded with praise from his colleagues and the press touting him as an offensive genius—a guru of X’s and O’s that, if anything else, could get the Irish offense firing on all cylinders. Six years later, Charlie Weis has more or less lived up to those expectations, save one …

In the cacophony of opinions and numbers shouted in the media by long-time Weis-haters and Notre Dame detractors, Notre Dame Nation is best served by reviewing where we were in 2005. Students and alumni were detached from the football program. High school coaches had been shunned and were reluctant to recommend their players choose Notre Dame. Potential recruits were choosing other summer football camps. Irish …

One hundred years ago an experienced Notre Dame team traveled to Ann Arbor under a national spotlight due to both teams’ strong performances thus far that season. Chicago Tribune news writers attended as well as Walter Camp, Yale’s legendary coach, and other Eastern football experts.

The 1909 Notre Dame-Michigan Game

Though Michigan had won two national championships and five conference championships in the decade, Wolverine …