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comment_766065

What are the chances that Father Jenkins is pressed into asking for resignations from Swarbrick and Powlus?  For what it's worth, I think Father Jenkins should be replaced too.

I realize that ND is about more than the football team but football funds so much beyond the team itself that it can't be overlooked or minimized.

As I mentioned in a previous post, ND has upcoming deals for TV and apparel.  The better ND football is, the more they can ask and receive in both deals.  

I have heard that large donors aren't happy with Swarbrick but I can't tell just how far they are willing to push it.

#FireSwarbrick

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comment_766066

Fr. Jenkins is appointed to the presidency by the Congregation oi the Holy Cross, the religious order  of priests which he belongs. They re-upped him a few years ago and I am not certain how many years are left in his term in office.. Hoping that when it ends the good Father will appoint a new president who  stops trying to make ND the Harvard of the Midwest. It has lost its Catholic character under him and is no  longer considered the nation's the leading Catholic university, far from it I am sad to say. As for the AD, he is nearing retirement age and after having to find new new head coaches for football, baseball and now basketball in the last 12 months, his plate has been so full they he may contemplate early retirement.

comment_766072
16 hours ago, Jersey Irish said:

Fr. Jenkins is appointed to the presidency by the Congregation oi the Holy Cross, the religious order  of priests which he belongs. They re-upped him a few years ago and I am not certain how many years are left in his term in office.. Hoping that when it ends the good Father will appoint a new president who  stops trying to make ND the Harvard of the Midwest. It has lost its Catholic character under him and is no  longer considered the nation's the leading Catholic university, far from it I am sad to say. As for the AD, he is nearing retirement age and after having to find new new head coaches for football, baseball and now basketball in the last 12 months, his plate has been so full they he may contemplate early retirement.

I do hear this quite a bit, that ND is no longer the leading Catholic University. While this diverges from the topic, I am always curious to know just which is considered the leading Catholic university?

I agree that Swarbrick has had to deal with quite a bit over the last year. He’s probably paid handsomely for his duties. It wouldn’t surprise me at all for him to retire after a new basketball coach is hired and TV rights deal inked. But he is the right guy to lead them through these things. Can’t imagine ND bringing in someone else to do all of that. 

comment_766079

It's my opinion that Swarbrick has navigated extremely well through Covid/ACC partnerships, coaching changes, NIL, super-conference realignment, and he has done so to the benefit of ALL ND sports.  I feel like we as fans, as well as the media, tend to identify and fixate solely on, football when we think of ND.  I know I catch myself doing it.

Acknowledging that ND football is not yet where we want them to be, this is a long familiar debate.  The answer to the question of when the administration will prioritize a national title over academics and its overall mission of teaching and service is NEVER.  Fr. Jenkins has advanced the university like never before during his tenure.  ND's reach grows with each passing day.  They would love a national title, but the narrative that we are recruiting a different type of kid is real.  The top teams are factories.  ND men will attend class, stay eligible, maintain a positive image, etc.  It's a notably different expectation on a student-athlete than a lot of other programs - most programs, frankly.  Although there are many with a higher standard (they aren't competing for titles, either).

The AD, coaches, and football program have always had to start with those priorities at the forefront of their hiring, recruiting, and overall public-facing perception.  The recent OC hiring process was sorry, no doubt, but it's not that big of a deal, ultimately - for whatever actually transpired behind the scenes.  If that's some black mark on Swarbrick's performance, so be it - we'll know his grade in September.

However, ND is now a regular in the Capital One Cup (defending champion), a national competition measuring performance in ALL sports.  Overall men's sports winner in 2022, currently 3rd nationally- $1M and a trophy for 2022.  That is a feather in Swarbrick's cap, no doubt, and a great indication of the success that ND student athletes are having nationally while achieving the ND standard.

All that said, ND football is certainly relevant.  I feel like they're building.  Better still, they're doing so with great kids.  Kids that see the difference, and want the challenge. 

The CFP relied heavily on Swarbrick's input and ND's brand in those conversations.  ND gave up nothing!  If we need the haven of a conference, the Big 10 will hold us a spot forever; but this next media deal should prove that we don't need to.  At the least, it sets the bar for the conference bidding.  ND probably stays independent in football, I think. Join a conference for the chance at a BYE?  Or do we want to host home playoff games?  Yeah, agreed.  I'll see you there in 2024!  Thanks, Jack!

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