Four Notre Dame players part of academic fraud investigation by school

Four Notre Dame football players will be held out of practice and games while university officials investigate whether they were involved in suspected academic fraud, the school announced Friday evening.

If improprieties were found to have occurred that kept players eligible, the school said it will "voluntarily" vacate any victories in which the players participated.

Vowing to protect the academic integrity of the school, president Rev. John Jenkins and athletic director Jack Swarbrick said at a news conference that receiver DaVaris Daniels, cornerback KeiVarae Russell, defensive end Ishaq Williams and linebacker Kendall Moore are at the center of the school's internal probe into allegations of cheating on tests and papers. The four were interviewed Friday, as Yahoo Sports previously reported, and are being withheld from team activities until the investigation is complete. School officials said non-athletes also are part of the probe, and stressed this is more an academic situation than an athletic one.

A Notre Dame statement said there was "evidence that students had submitted papers and homework that had been written for them by others." They said information was brought to light at the end of the school's summer session, and it was forwarded to the athletic compliance office on July 29.

"We are in the beginning stages of the investigation," Jenkins said.

Notre Dame, UConn set for historic title game

Connecticut center Stefanie Dolson answers questions during a news conference at the NCAA women's Final Four college basketball tournament Monday, April 7, 2014, in Nashville, Tenn. Connecticut is scheduled to face Notre Dame in the championship game Tuesday. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Muffet McGraw and Geno Auriemma were well aware of the talk. There has been a buzz throughout women's basketball all season about the potential showdown between their undefeated teams. Well, the wait is over.

UConn (39-0) and Notre Dame (37-0) are set to meet in an unprecedented championship clash Tuesday night. "I think it's something that everyone's looked forward to all year long," McGraw said. "People were hoping we would end up here. It's great for the game and I think it's great we're both undefeated coming into it. It should be a great matchup for women's basketball."

Auriemma agreed that this once in a lifetime matchup — the first time undefeated basketball teams, men or women, have met for the NCAA national crown — could help grow the women's game.

"An awful lot of people might tune in Tuesday night that wouldn't normally tune in," he said. "A game on national television between two great teams, nothing could be better for the sport."

There's also so much at stake for both teams. A victory by UConn over its rival would be the ninth of Geno Auriemma's career breaking a tie with Pat Summitt for the most all-time. And if he does it, he'll accomplish it in Summitt's backyard.

"I'm not a numbers guy and don't get caught up in that stuff," Auriemma said. "Wednesday morning when I wake up, my life doesn't change one iota. Stewie (Breanna Stewart) says she came to win four national championships, that's what I think is more significant. For Bria (Hartley) and Stef (Dolson) to win a national championship their senior years. They get 'X' amount of chances to do it. God willing, I'll get more chances down the road."

While Auriemma deflected the talk on a record title, Dolson is happy to be a part of it.

I am suggesting that ALL my readers watch this game tomorrow night, I guarantee that you will enjoy it. Top quality basketball, played at the highest level, the way the game should be played. One team will be "sad" after the game, but they will graciously congratulate the winner, and it WILL be a GREAT GAME. Do yourself a favor and watch this game ............ 

What's the surprise?

I am slightly amused at all the concern about whether Brian Kelly will stay at Notre Dame, of course he won't, I don't know what you expected of him. When you hired him you hired a professional "career climber" and that is what you got. He has loyalty to one thing, himself.

He walked out on Cincinnati and if the occasion arises, he will walk out on Notre Dame. He is only concerned about one thing, his career.

He is not unlike many in the "coaches" profession. I now class them with politicians and evangelists and a few other "dedicated" professionals.

I don't know what they expected at Notre Dame, they got what they payed for ......................

Alabama all the way

I just got an email from a friend asking my opinion of tonight's Championship Game. I don't know how many people around the world are even concerned, but to answer his request I will give my opinion.

First, I have always been a Notre Dame fan, UNTIL, they haired their unprincipled new coach of a few years. He's the one who WALKED OUT on his team at Cincinnati right before their bowl appearance. This recent flurry of bowl games had many "assistant coaches" running the show, as the head coach left for another job. May do a count, but many coaches left their teams. I forget which game, but I admired the coach who insisted he stay on coaching till the end of the bowl game. Hats off to him.

Secondly, I personally don't think ND was number one in the country, anyway. I was never impressed with them in the games I saw. One game they stole. I am also somewhat under the impression that TV has a hand in determining the BIG games. ND and Alabama is a great draw. I predicted them when the season was half over. Not by the quality of any teams or coaches, but the game that might bring in the most advertising revenue.

The experts on TV, and there are sooooooo many of them on are predicting a close game. If it is close, through the half, and the third quarter, then we will all know it is rigged for TV. "Keep all those viewers glued to their sets, at least till the fourth quarter, then, you guys go ahead and play." That is just my aged opinion.

So, one of two scenarios. I think Alabama is a much better team and may, if allowed, run away with the game. If the "financial" pressure is applied, a close game till the half, and the game will be played in the second half.

This is just one old opinion .................

WHY HAVE THE DARN REPLAY????????????

Notre Dame and Stanford played the type of epic game we've come to expect from these teams, but the ending will be one that is debated for years to come. Notre Dame won 20-13 in overtime after a heroic goal line stand against Stanford running back Stepfan Taylor. But many will claim the Irish didn't actually get the stop.

After looking at the video, it appears as though Taylor rolls over the pile of bodies and stretches the ball over the end line for the touchdown.

However, officials had blown the play dead and a review confirmed the ruling. When it was official, fans came storming down from the stands to join the team in celebrating the Irish's first win in four tries while Stanford left wildly disappointed in a game they thought should have at least gone to a second overtime.
Honestly, officials got this one wrong. Taylor was still moving forward, his progress had not been stopped, he wasn't tackled and he was never down. Not sure why the play was blown down, especially during such a crucial point in the game.

When you wear the black and white shirt and do a Notre Dame game, if you want to ever do one again, make sure you make the right decision. It was a great game, what a shame to end it on an OBVIOUS MISSED CALL ... STANFORD scored ..... the game should have gone on ..... I hope the guy who made the call got a little "extra" something in his pay envelope .......... it has to be difficult for the "golden" helmeted boys to celebrate a victory when they know they did not win the game, honestly ...........

PacSafe Slingsafe 100 GII Anti-Theft Women's Shoulder Bag Skyblue 

I got the job ..... see you guys later

Well, I am no longer a Notre Dame fan, at least not a fan of the new coach.

I wish there was just a little bit of a strain of loyalty that ran through coaches. "Dream come true" crap just doesn't work for me. He can't even stay at Cincinnati, which got him where he is today, long enough to coach "his kids" in a bowl game.

"The best story," Brian Kelly said, "would be I get to coach in the Sugar Bowl. But I'm here at Notre Dame now, and this is where I want to be. This is where I need to get to work immediately. So yeah, the story would be the coach stays with the team and finishes what he started. But in the calendar that we are in in college football, it just can't happen."

Cincinnati never won more games in a season than it did when Kelly coached the team to 11 victories in 2008. It then topped that in the 2009 regular season, a perfect 12-0 that essentially vaulted Kelly into the corner office at Notre Dame's Guglielmino Athletics Complex.

I think Kelly leaving his team them this way says a lot about the man. He is GREEDY. Dreams be damned, loyalty is worth something. If he had half a spine he would have said, "Can't talk till after the bowl game, MY KIDS NEED ME!" But, he didn't, he caved in to his own greed.

I wish him the same success there that Faust had. I hope his record makes Faust's record look good.

I wonder if he would leave his wife and family if his "dream girl" came along.

I hope he ends up having to coach the Cleveland Browns, that is how much I dislike what he did. The man has NO CLASS. I personally think it is a blemish on the record of a fine football program. Faust, now Kelly.

Wouldn't it be nice to see more loyal coaches, who stay with a program for a long time, and coach, because they love working with the kids, and seeing them succeed. Million dollar salaries are killing loyalty in coaches.