Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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UPON FURTHER REVIEW TODD D. BURLAGE Finally, the attitude and climate have changed under Swarbrick, and the divi- dends are already showing after what could be considered the most success- ful athletics year in the history of the university, all under some difficult cir- cumstances. There was no debate that the first year in the Atlantic Coast Conference would bring a notable competition upgrade compared to the 18 years Notre Dame spent dominating the Big East with 126 league championships in various sports. But just how big of a jump would the ACC be? Could Notre Dame survive in the premier athletic conference in the country, or would unfamiliarity and logistical headaches be too overwhelm- ing in its inaugural year? Safe to say the Irish teams held up fine, recording an ACC-best third-place finish in the 2013-14 Learfield Sports Directors' Cup, the National Associa- tion of Collegiate Directors of Athletics all-sports competition. The Directors' Cup compiles stand- ings from every men's and women's sports program for the year. And with 22 of 26 Irish teams qualifying for postsea- son competition — including an NCAA championship by the men's soccer team and national runner-up finishes from men's lacrosse and women's basketball — this was Notre Dame's best finish in the 21-year history of the Directors' Cup. "That last thing I think we're see- ing here is the fruits of the investments we've made in facilities, in nutrition, in areas like that," Swarbrick said. "It's the return you start to see when you work to become better in the areas be- yond X's and O's." Notre Dame is unique from most other schools in that it has an academic policy that prohibits student-athletes from missing more than three of their classes during any sport's regular sea- son, meaning red-eye flights, sleep de- privation and quick travel turnarounds are the norm. But the logistical demands never bothered the athletes in competition or the classroom. Notre Dame also ranks first in the country in the NCAA Grad- uation Success Rate for its student-ath- letes. In just the last seven months, Swarbrick negotiated a record $90 mil- lion apparel deal with Under Armour to better equip and outfit his student- athletes. He scheduled a home-and- home series with Southeastern Confer- ence power Georgia that gives Notre Dame a chance to measure itself against the premier football league in the coun- try. Swarbrick agreed to finally replace the sketchy sod at Notre Dame Stadium with FieldTurf, and he approved the new Irish Invasion recruiting initiative that transformed a mundane football camp weekend into an exclusive show- case for only the nation's top prep play- ers. Swarbrick said at that memorable press conference six years ago that he needed to put Notre Dame in front of the wave of change tumbling toward college athletics … mission accom- plished, and then some. ✦ Todd D. Burlage has been a writer for Blue & Gold Illustrated since July 2005. He can be reached at tburlage@blueandgold.com