Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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UNDER THE DOME 20 Years Ago: July 11, 1994 Notre Dame is officially ac- cepted as the 13th member of the Big East Conference — with the caveat that the football team would remain independent. Although the Fighting Irish would not begin competition in the Big East until the 1995-96 school year, joining the league in other sports is expected to enhance its visibility and com- petitive level. This is particularly true in basketball, where the growing women's team under Muffet McGraw was playing in the lightly regarded Midwest Collegiate Conference. Meanwhile, the men's team was suffering as an independent with scheduling and recruit- ing. Former head coach Digger Phelps ended a strong 20-year career in 1991 with a 12-20 re- cord, while successor John Ma- cLeod was 18-15, 9-18 and 12- 17 his first three seasons. "I don't want to leave the im- pression we were forced into a conference because we could not compete as an indepen- dent," Notre Dame athletics di- rector Dick Rosenthal told The New York Times. "I never felt we needed to cease being an independent in basketball. I still believe that. I just think this is a great marriage." 40 Years Ago: July 25, 1974 Defending national champion Notre Dame, favored to repeat in 1974, makes national headlines — in- cluding Walter Cronkite's CBS evening news — with the university's announcement that six sophomores would be expelled for the 1974-75 academic year: defensive ends Ross Browner and Willie Fry, defensive Anniversaries In Notre Dame Athletics History: June/July Athletics director Dick Rosenthal oversaw Notre Dame's admission into the Big East 20 years ago. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME MEDIA RELATIONS