Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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Making A Move Irish Olympic sports will leave the Big East for the ACC By Dan Murphy Notre Dame football stole the headlines in the school’s move to the Atlantic Coast Conference last week, but the rest of the school’s varsity sports will ultimately have a much larger adjustment to make when they officially migrate south at some point in the next two years. Almost across the board the move from Big East to ACC will mean a step up in competition for Notre Dame. The Irish coaches greeted the news with an impromptu ovation for athletics director Jack Swarbrick when he announced the news in an early morning meeting in the Joyce Center’s Club Naimoli Sept. 12. It will be at least a year before anything changes on the field. Here’s a brief look at what Notre Dame’s coaches and athletes can expect from their new conference members. Baseball Warmer weather always means stiffer competition in baseball. Seven ACC teams made the NCAA Tournament last season, compared to two from the Big East. Boston College made the same jump in 2006 under Mik Aoki, who is now coaching at Notre Dame. The Eagles have finished in the top eight in conference play only twice since then. 2011-12 ACC Champ: Georgia Tech. Head Coach Mik Aoki: “It is simply a who’s who of college baseball. The game operation, fan base and facilities, I just think it’s really a big move for our baseball program to compete in that conference.” Basketball Notre Dame joins the sport’s blue bloods from North Carolina as well as some familiar foes from the old Big East. On the men’s side, Mike Brey’s team will have to adjust to a faster-paced, less physical game. He should be used to it after starting his career as an assistant at Duke. The Irish, along with Pitt and Syracuse, should add a level of depth and consistency to the ACC that will allow them once again to lay claim to the title of best in the business. Notre Dame’s women have proven in the past few seasons they can play with anyone. The annual showdown with Duke will be an exciting one, but the Irish are 3-0 against ACC teams in the past two years and should have no problem staying on top when they move. 2011-12 ACC Champ: Florida State (men) and Maryland (women). Women’s Head Coach Muffet McGraw: “There are so many talented players, coaches and programs in the ACC, and we will be challenged each and every night. I also think our fans, who are the best in college basketball, will be excited to see so many new faces coming in to Purcell Pavilion in the next few years.” Cross Country Florida State is one of the country’s premier programs, and NC State has recently set a high bar on the men’s side. Finishing times for the ACC are consistently a few seconds faster than the corresponding place in Big East races. Notre Dame should be able to push a few runners to the brink of the top 10 on a regular basis, which is similar to where they stand in the Big East. 2011-12 ACC Champ: NC State (men) and Florida State (women). Head Coach Joe Piane: “We have tons of great memories with the Big East. We have won 24 titles between cross country, and indoor and outdoor track and field. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with the conference and I will enjoy the remaining time with them.” Golf Notre Dame brings a top-level course to the ACC, which surprisingly has only two campus courses rated in the country’s top 20 according to Links magazine. The competition is a step up, though. The Irish women finished last at the Tar Heel Invitational last season behind five ACC teams. Georgia Tech has run off four straight titles on the men’s side and will be the team to beat for Notre Dame. 2011-12 ACC Champ: Georgia Tech (men) and Duke (women). Men’s Head Coach Jim Kubinski: “It’s the dawning of a new era here, and we’re excited for the challenge.” Rowing The Virginia Cavaliers, last spring’s national champions, are the team to beat on the water in the ACC. Notre Dame is a regular Big East champion, but will need to trim at least 10 seconds from its top times to compete with Virginia and Clemson on a regular basis. 2011-12 ACC Champ: Virginia. Head Coach Martin Stone: “There will be eight schools now, and it will be pretty strong throughout. There will be different levels of speed, and it’s going to be interesting. It’s going to be fun.” Soccer The ACC is home to women’s soccer royalty. North Carolina has won 20 of the 28 contested NCAA championships. Notre Dame, which has three of the others, will give the Tar Heels and the rest of the conference a run for their money. The Irish are 10-8-2 against ACC foes in the past five years. The men’s team has played its future conference members only four times during that same stretch, but is 2-1-1 against them. The Irish are off to a hot start this season under head coach Bobby Clark, who says leaving the Big East is bittersweet. The move should only help recruiting in the top-notch conference. 2011-12 ACC Champ: North Carolina (men) and Florida State (women). Women’s Head Coach Randy Waldrum: “[Swarbrick] got some applause from all of us as soon as he mentioned it. I think everybody was really ready for a move.” Softball The ACC might be stronger top to bottom than the Big East, but those teams don’t outclass what Notre Dame has done in recent years. The Irish have typically been on top of their conference. They’ll have a longer schedule to play through, but might enjoy sun instead of snow in the early part of the schedule. 2011-12 ACC Champ: Georgia Tech. Head Coach Deanna Gumpf: “We actually try to book ACC teams early in the year before we hit conference because we realize it helps us in the long run with our RPI. Now, we get to join the party.” Swimming & Diving Notre Dame should feel right at home against the competition in ACC pools. Based on last year’s results, the Irish men would have placed at least one swimmer in the top five in the majority of the conference meet events. The ACC had a healthy showing of alumni in the London Olympics, which is the next step Notre Dame coach Tim Welsh is hoping to take with his program. A young group of Irish women swimmers will be reaching the end of their careers by the time Notre Dame jumps conferences. They should help the team make a good first impression. 2011-12 ACC Champ: Virginia (men and women). Women’s Head Coach Brian Barnes: “It’s a strong conference for us, particularly at the top, which is where we need to be looking. Many of the programs in the ACC are coached extremely well.” Tennis Virginia is currently as good as it gets in men’s tennis. Duke and North Carolina historically aren’t far behind. Notre Dame will have trouble hanging with the top dogs at first, but has the chops to stick with the rest. They were 2-1 in match play against ACC teams a season ago. The Triangle schools will be tough to beat on the women’s side as well. Notre Dame has found its way into the top 25 in most recent years and should add another regular contender to the conference lineup. 2011-12 ACC Champ: Virginia (men) and Duke (women). Men’s Head Coach Bobby Bayliss: “For us it will be more of the same during the regular season, but going to the conference tournament will be very exciting. It will be great for the program.” Track & Field Joe Piane built Notre Dame into the top team in the Big East during its 17 years in the conference. The Irish will take a fairly significant step up when they head to the ACC in the near future. The traditional powers down South will challenge the Irish with more speed than they’re used to seeing. In the long run, that level of competition could attract better runners on the track and maybe on the football field. 2011-12 ACC Champ: Virginia Tech (men) and Clemson (women). Head Coach Joe Piane: “I would say it’s one of the best conferences in the country. Florida State and Clemson are perennial powerhouses in track and field.” Volleyball The true powers in volleyball lie mostly out West. Notre Dame’s skip in the opposite direction won’t do much to change its current status. The Irish are usually in a battle for one of the top three or four spots in the Big East and will likely fit a similar role in the ACC. The Seminoles, winners of last years’ conference tournament, will be the toughest battle on a regular basis. 2011-12 ACC Champ: Florida State. Head Coach Debbie Brown: “There are five or six schools that we used to compete against in the Big East that are now in the ACC, so it will be nice to pick up those rivalries again.” Lacrosse A move to the ACC might be the final push Notre Dame needs to bring in a national title in men’s lacrosse. The Irish have been knocking on the door in past years, and increased recruiting and competition could put them over the edge. Top teams such as Duke, Virginia and Maryland traditionally bring out the best in Kevin Corrigan’s team. The women’s side of the conference has depth similar to the Big East with five teams finishing in the top 20 in 2012. Notre Dame should fit right in the mix and help a strong group get stronger. 2011-12 ACC Champ: Duke (men) and Maryland (women). Men’s Head Coach Kevin Corrigan: “Is it going to be a great challenge year in and year out to play the schedule of the ACC? Of course it is. But it’s the challenge we relish and are looking forward to.”