if only because ND has gotten some really good recruiting classes these last couple years.

I think the question is can ND actually get a blue-chip coach? :-)

That’s the one statistic that is impressive. The national average is in the mid-60’s.

That is the last excuse for desperate and failing programs. The Furd used it after Willingham left and they’re team slid into suckitude (conveniently forgetting that they had the same standards while Willingham was there and they seemed to do well).

Hell, this year even brought the babybruins of Ucla into the Academic Standards argument … claiming that their standards were higher than everyone in the Pac-10 but the Furd. Absurd, of course, but then again when your team sucks the fans need to hang their hat on some excuse aside from the obvious.

C’mon now! Academic standards, APR, and “no one remembers who came in 2nd place”.

What’s IT GOT TO DO with championships? It’s all about MONEY, it doesn’t take intellectual savvy to deduce that. Nor can one be accused of being jaded, or cynical, or simple-minded in concluding this to be true.

Yes, obtaining excellence in academics and sport is the universal moral ideal for the NCAA member institutions, but the futility in universally reaching that objective is practical impossibility for all intents and purposes. Dependent on geography, economy, respective mission, and administration- academics and athletics are mutually exclusive from one university to another. And if that’s the case for even ONE campus out of 400. . . . . . it tips the “fairness” balance immensely.

“Shut up and play”. . . . . . ParagonSC hits that nail square on the head. It should be CC’s operative phrase. Not only is that phrase topically appropriate, it’s practical truism.