ND boosters essentially shipping recruits to Ireland

Submitted by 1464 on

Not sure if I should be irate or not, please inform me.

Notre Dame boosters are essentially paying big bucks to send a bunch of elite high school kids to Ireland to play in a tournament the day before their game against Navy.  This tournament is halfway across the world, but it's just the BIGGEST coincidence that ND plays the next day.  These kids all have the option to attend the game.  It's legal in the eyes of the NCAA, but is it okay for us to rabble a bit?

It's an away game for ND, so they're not allowed to have visitors.  So these kids can still be flown out to the Dome to catch a Fighting Irish game again, free of charge.

http://footballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1399793

Farmhouse Funk

August 23rd, 2012 at 11:11 PM ^

What better way to start the college football season off then waking up at 9am watching Navy beat nd, then at 8pm watching Michigan beat Alabama.

Go Navy!!!

Go BLUE!!!!!

Tater

August 23rd, 2012 at 11:35 PM ^

I'm very happy for the kids, especially the 90 percent who won't go on to play on a FBS scholarship.  It's a great opportunity for them.  I definitely don't like the possible recruiting advantage for ND, though.

Then again, ND has recruited well for years; they just haven't been able to actually win very many important games with all of those four and five-stars.

I think I'll just be happy for the kids and trust that ND will continue to underachieve. 

Lordfoul

August 23rd, 2012 at 11:42 PM ^

I don't think this will threaten Michigan's recruiting in the slightest.  

Hoke Uber Alles.

(Besides, what better place for extra recruits to waste their talents than at ND?  It might keep them out of the hands of Ohio.)

Genzilla

August 24th, 2012 at 12:04 AM ^

What's the exchange rate for wins between the States and Ireland right now.  Maybe their 8 wins translates to 11 wins in Ireland, that would really blow the recruits away.

justingoblue

August 24th, 2012 at 12:21 AM ^

Hamilton High School, a Phoenix-based school set to participate, is coached by Steve Belles, who played for the Fighting Irish under Lou Holtz.

Bellis downplays the recruiting significance of what's about to take place. He doesn't want his team's overseas experience to be portrayed as the world's most expensive unofficial visit. Top priority is, after all, winning a football game.

"I don't think it matters," Bellis said of the potential recruiting impact. "Kids are more interested in how a school plays than anything else. That's what everybody gauges stuff on anymore. It's, 'how good are you?'"

 

kyeblue

August 24th, 2012 at 12:25 AM ^

wonder how many Irish are interested in American football game? 

 

Checked the ticket price, $300 and up. Wonder who would pay for it for the high school kids to attend the game, is that within the NCAA rule for high school recruits to accept free tickets?

Michigan Arrogance

August 24th, 2012 at 12:51 AM ^

It's got to really piss off all these ND boosters that they spend all this big time cash-ola, just to  go 7-and-fucking-6 every year for the last 20 years and lose to Navy twice in 3 years in the process.

 

I mean, they have literally not hung a single banner in 20 years, folks.

LSAClassOf2000

August 24th, 2012 at 5:58 AM ^

"Bellis downplays the recruiting significance of what's about to take place. He doesn't want his team's overseas experience to be portrayed as the world's most expensive unofficial visit." - from the article

A round trip for a high school team between Phoenix and Dublin with your coach, who played for Holtz, to see Notre Dame play Navy, organized by a group which has a partner organization run my Patrick Steenberge. I suppose I see his concern - it's merely a school field trip to see an ND game that involves several schools whose personnel have connections to ND. Got it. 

""By opening this season in Dublin we've been telling recruits about the international brand power we have," - Tony Alford

I assume that this means more recruiting battles between Kelly and Dantonio, as both schools recruit up and down the Liffey. 

Jon06

August 24th, 2012 at 6:44 AM ^

If anything, this hurts ND. These kids are going to get two opportunities, in two different contexts, to see what a giant douche BK is. And seeing Ireland might be a growth experience for them, which might make them more mature as decision makers, which can only be bad for ND.

QED.

pdgoblue25

August 24th, 2012 at 10:00 AM ^

Great idea. 

This is just like Saban having his bowl practices at Dee Hart's high school.  Completely pissed me off mostly because it was a great idea, and if it was our team doing it I would just shrug my shoulders.