After 4 years in the ACC, what are your thoughts about
by MPG (2017-05-31 15:43:32)

the status of ND's Olympic sports? Here are mine regarding the sports covered on this board:

Men's Cross Country and Track has missed sending distance runners to the NCAA championships in the fall, winter, and spring. ND is sending a vaulter and a high jumper to Eugene next week. Middle distance running is no longer a strength.

Women's cross country and track has progressed due to the strong distance running with Molly Seidel and Anna Rohrer. There is some strength in the middle distance and better depth overall than in the men's program.

Fencing is always a contender for the NCAA crown and the recently invented ACC meet is only a tune-up for the post-season.

Men's golf has struggled and will have a new coach. Women's golf continues to make it to the regional, but isn't a real contender to make it past the regional.

Rowing is another steady state program which will qualify for the NCAAs, but is not a threat to win it.

Men's and Women's swimming are middle of the pack programs in ACC. The new coach for both programs may help them to advance.

Men's tennis has been slipping and did not make the NCAA tournament again this year. They frequently won the Big East and made it to the NCAAs in the past. The women's program isn't an ACC contender, but is good enough to make the NCAAs and win a round.

Volleyball hit rock bottom in the ACC, but Jim McLaughlin has the program headed in the right direction. They would have been an NCAA team last year, if they had not lost their setter for the final weeks of the season. Of all the sports on this board that made the transition from the Big East, this is the one that fell the farthest in ACC play, but is making the fastest rise in the new conference.


The women's tennis program used to be a consistent Sweet 16
by FL_Irish  (2017-06-06 08:45:44)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

...team and at their peak reached the Final Four. A year or two ago they were the last team in off the bubble and I can't remember the last time they made the Sweet 16. Notre Dame used to be seen as in the next tier down after the small group of teams that dominate the sport. Now they're a tier or two lower than that. They've taken a significant step back while programs like Michigan and Ohio State have made a major leap forward (sound familiar?).

We're letting a legendary (by ND tennis standards) coach hang on too long and the steady decline might end up undoing a lot of the work he did in building the program.


Specifically on fencing, they won titles in 2011 and 2017. *
by G.K.Chesterton  (2017-06-01 21:49:58)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post


I've been very disappointed in the men's XC and ...
by Rocksteady74  (2017-05-31 16:54:47)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

.... tennis programs the past few years. ND should do better than that.

I don't think ND has a realistic chance of ever being a consistent power in rowing.


I will say that ND's tennis facilities are absolute crap
by FL_Irish  (2017-06-06 08:47:36)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

But the men's team should still be better than it is.


Any ETA on a new tennis "stadium"? *
by fontoknow  (2017-06-08 16:16:34)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post


Men's XC is f**king mess (and that might be generous)...
by ErikND96  (2017-06-05 23:12:49)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

... and a once perennial Top 10 team nationally, is now barely in the Top 10 in the ACC.


Any observations regarding reasons? Many schools ...
by Rocksteady74  (2017-06-06 13:33:25)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

... in the same region (e.g. Wisconsin, Michigan, Michigan State, Indiana) recruit very well. Perhaps Wisconsin is a bridge too far because their XC has been so good for so long that they are recruiting broadly on top of good local talent. But I don't know why we can't recruit with the others.