NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS ANNUAL REPORT FIGHTING IRISH WOMEN’S BASKETBALL | FENCING UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS ANNUAL REPORT i Contents 2 Introduction 3 Academics 4 Athletics Advancement 5 Community Commitment 6 Compliance 7 Facilities 8 Honors and Awards 9 Marketing 10 Media 11 Mendelson Fund 12 Monogram Club 13 Student Welfare and Development 14 NACDA Cup: Rankings 15 Sports Summaries UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS ANNUAL REPORT 1 THIS IS WHAT A three-week period in late March basketball and Jeff Jackson in and early April of 2018 marked one hockey—were named national coach of the most remarkable stretches in of the year in their respective sports. University of Notre Dame athletics Meanwhile, Notre Dame student- WE history. athletes won another national First, the Irish fencing teams title in the classroom—for the 11th traveled to Penn State where they straight year posting the best overall dominated the combined NCAA Graduation Success Rate figure (98) Fencing Championship for the among Football Bowl Subdivision DO second straight year, leading the institutions. It marked the best ARIKE OGUNBOWALE competition from wire to wire. overall academic performance by Irish athletes in a decade. The next weekend, the Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season Irish programs across the board champion Notre Dame women’s continued making meaningful basketball team journeyed to impacts on campus, in Michiana and Columbus, Ohio, where the Irish elsewhere in terms of community knocked off unbeaten and top- service. rated Connecticut in overtime in the And Notre Dame athletic facilities national semifinals, then came from continued to expand—with the 15 points down to beat Mississippi opening of the Campus Crossroads State in the title game. Both Project at Notre Dame Stadium, contests featured dramatic game- along with progress toward winning shots by Irish junior guard conclusion of the Harris Family Track Arike Ogunbowale. Stadium, a new practice facility—the Then, the following weekend, the Rolfs Athletic Hall (formerly the Big Ten Conference champion Irish Rolfs RecSports Center)—for men’s hockey squad headed to St. Paul, and women’s basketball and a new Minnesota, where Notre Dame indoor practice facility for football. recorded its fifth straight one-goal It was left to Ogunbowale to put win in defeating Michigan in the the Irish athletic year, the women’s national semifinals—before falling basketball title—and maybe the 2-1 against Minnesota Duluth in the Notre Dame athletic mantra—in NCAA championship game. perspective, in a live interview on The impact of those three ESPN: performances was such that all three “National champs, baby. This is what head coaches—Gia Kvaratskhelia in we do.” fencing, Muffet McGraw in women’s UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS ANNUAL REPORT 2 ACADEMICS Notre Dame’s institu- nation within their sports— tional research determined and 10 produced federal additional academic graduation rates that led all highlights based on the FBS institutions. NCAA-issued GSR and 4. Federal Rate: Notre Dame federal figures: graduated 96 percent of all 1. Eighteen of 22 Irish women competing in varsity athletic programs analyzed athletics to rank second posted GSR figures of 100 among its peer institutions percent, and 10 produced based on the federal cal- federal rate 100 scores. culations (behind Stanford at 97). Among men, Notre 2. For the 12th time in 13 Dame’s 92 percent federal years, Notre Dame ranked rate tied with Stanford for No. 1 on a percentage basis first place. Notre Dame in terms of number of GSR graduated 85 percent of its 100 scores, among all FBS black student-athletes, rank- schools. ing tied for third, and Irish 3. Eighteen of Notre Dame’s football players graduated 22 men’s and women’s pro- at a 90 percent rate to rank grams posted GSR numbers second behind Northwest- that ranked them best in the ern (92). Notre Dame in November 2017 Boston College and Northwestern (11 for student-athletes who plan to claimed a share of the national each). Five Notre Dame men’s pursue professional careers in their championship for graduating student- teams—baseball, cross country, chosen sports following graduation. athletes in all sports—in the process fencing, soccer and tennis—registered ACC Honor Roll: 434 Notre Dame posting the top NCAA Graduation perfect 1,000 scores. Seven Irish student-athletes were honored— Success Rate (GSR) figure (98) for its women’s teams—basketball, golf, second most in the conference. student-athletes for the 11th straight lacrosse, softball, swimming and year. The GSR number for all Notre diving, tennis and volleyball—also Jessica Harris earned first-team Dame student-athletes rated the Irish earned perfect scores. Academic All-America honors on the first among the football-playing cross country/track and field team Thirteen Notre Dame teams posted institutions in the NCAA Football named by the College Sports multi-year APR scores in the top 10 Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division Information Directors of America percent of all squads in their respec- I-A). The 2017 NCAA figures were (CoSIDA). tive sports and received 2018 NCAA based on entering classes from 2007 APR Public Recognition Awards: through 2010. Men’s sports (6): baseball, cross Twelve Notre Dame athletic teams country, fencing, soccer, tennis, track earned 1,000 scores—more perfect and field; Women’s sports (7): scores than any other NCAA Football basketball, golf, lacrosse, softball, Bowl Subdivision school except swimming and diving, tennis, volley- one—in the annual set of Academic ball. Progress Rate statistics issued in May ACC post-graduate scholarships 2018 by the NCAA. Notre Dame’s went to Katie Uhler and Monica number of perfect scores of 1,000 has Flores (women’s soccer), Greer ranked either first or second among Martini (football) and John Sexton all FBS programs for 13 straight years. (men’s lacrosse). Sexton was among Leaders in the 2018 data were individuals chosen as Weaver-James- Stanford (16), Notre Dame (12), and Corrigan Honorary Award recipients UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS ANNUAL REPORT 3 ATHLETICS ADVANCEMENT In 2017-18, Notre Dame athletics an 88 percent increase in giving from head coach, football offensive benefactors had the following last year’s totals coordinator and football defensive incredible impact on Fighting Irish coordinator) 239 gifts from men’s and women’s student-athletes and programs: track and field alumni in support of 3 new seven-figure endowed grant- the new Harris Family Track and Field in-aid gifts (to men’s golf, men’s $139.4M in total athletics funds gifted (cash gifts and pledges), a Stadium basketball and football programs) record year for athletics philanthropy 177 gifts from men’s and women’s 1st endowment of its kind estab- basketball alumni in support of the lished to support academic, health $83.3M committed to fully fund the construction of two new practice new basketball practice facility and wellness needs of underprivileged student-athletes facilities for men’s and women’s 57 student-athletes who partici- basketball, as well as football, men’s pated in summer study-abroad Donors impacted so many other soccer and women’s soccer programs in large part due to Rockne areas including gifts to support Athletics Fund support special events, international travel, $6.1M in donations to the Rockne new equipment, nutritional needs, Athletics Fund, including 12 new 35 student-athletes who received off-site training, networking opportu- members of the Jesse Harper Council funding for summer internships and nities and more (gifts of $50K or higher), providing externships through benefactor- expendable scholarship and financial established endowments support to all 26 varsity programs 4 new seven-figure endowed $198,000 in total funds raised for coaching position gifts (swimming athletics teams on Notre Dame Day, and diving head coach, track and field UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS ANNUAL REPORT 4 COMMUNITY COMMITMENT Extra Yard for Teachers/ Habitat for Humanity/Commu- taurants in a Education: The 2017 football nity: The athletics department robust sustain- season marked the third and Habitat for Humanity ability effort. consecutive year of an increas- celebrated their fourth year of Throughout ingly successful partnership partnership. Irish teams and the football among the Notre Dame staff members rolled up their season, Culti- athletics department, College sleeves to provide a forever vate Culinary Football Playoff Foundation and home for local Michiana rescued and Alliance for Catholic Education families. delivered in the Extra Yard for Teachers more than Each year former President initiative. 7,000 pounds Jimmy Carter and former of food from In 2017 this collaborative effort First Lady Rosalynn Carter, in Institute, Hurricane Relief, Wild Notre Dame Stadium and catalyzed 616 gifts that totaled conjunction with Habitat, select Boar Soccer Team, United Way, distributed it to numerous $514,424, representing a 29 one community in the world Fighting Irish Fighting Hunger, nonprofit organizations in St. percent increase over the previ- to build a number of houses Lou’s Lads’ Bread of Life Food Joseph County. ous year’s total. In addition, with hundreds of volunteers. Drive and Vet Tix Foundation. $600 was directed to public The community identified for Since May 2018, more than Bringing the Community to school programs through the this year’s Carter Work Project 1,800 pounds of food that Notre Dame: Notre Dame’s Donors Choose website. Those was St. Joseph County, Indiana. would otherwise have gone athletic facilities serve as donations, coupled with a Last spring, student-athletes, to waste have been rescued venues not only for student- generous $150,000 match by coaches and staff participated from the Guglielmino Athletics athletes, but also for local and the CFPF, resulted in a grand in the construction of multiple Complex. Members of the ath- national community partners, total of $665,024 raised for the homes in the Carter Work Proj- letics staff and student-athletes visiting international contin- campaign.