Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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UNDER THE DOME his 22 years working with the Irish athletic depart- ment. He currently oversees business operations for all Notre Dame sports. He also works on a daily basis with the Irish hockey program and headed up the effort to build the new $50 million Compton Family Ice Arena, which opened last October. Tom Nevala has collected a variety of titles during Dame's move to the ACC was billed as "revenue neutral." How impor- tant was the financial impact in making the decision to partner with a new conference? Nevala: "The likely scenario is Blue & Gold Illustrated: Notre SENIOR ASSOCIATE ATHLETICS DIRECTOR TOM NEVALA Five Questions With … the first year at Compton that you can use going forward? Nevala: "I think we know we have the opportunity to make our ice conditions even better in the course of this year, so we'll do that. I think the biggest thing is we're probably going to be even busier this year that we were last based on the folks that did come through here last year." Nevala oversees business opera- that it's a revenue neutral move, more than likely it will be better than that over time. For us the key component is the football piece. "There may have been opportunities for it to be better than revenue neutral if that was our concern — if it was a financial decision. But it was so many other things then a financial decision." always been pretty unique in terms of the structure of their leagues. They've been very geographic based and have always been a very diverse makeup, a com- bination of big Division I schools, smaller Division I schools, some Division II schools, and that's always been what's been unique. "That has changed with this move." changes. The Central Collegiate Hockey Association dissolves at the end of this season. Is it sad to see it go? Nevala: "It really is because college hockey has Blue & Gold Illustrated: Speaking of conference tions for all Notre Dame sports. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME MEDIA RELATIONS been some, but I think it's more of a longer-term effect. It's going to be probably years from now. Whether it's students becoming more attracted to the place because Notre Dame was there and they were very young at the time when they saw this happen. "Or, I think we've already seen some of the fruits of the game in San Antonio with some of the kids who have committed to play football here." it take to host one of those games than a normal home game? Nevala: "It really depends on the arrangement Blue & Gold Illustrated: How much more does Blue & Gold Illustrated: What did you learn in that you have and the organization you're working with and who is responsible for what. It really has varied by the venue that we've been in, but let's just put it this way: from a logistical standpoint it's a lot easier to play a game in South Bend than any of the other locations." — Dan Murphy Shamrock Series, played last week in Chicago, is designed to show- case Notre Dame's brand across the country. Have you started see- ing returns on that already? Nevala: "I'm sure there has Blue & Gold Illustrated: The