Jan. 31, 2011

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – With the Notre Dame men’s basketball team rising to No. 9 in the latest Associated Press poll released on Monday, Notre Dame is the only school in the country that fields men’s and women’s basketball and hockey teams and has all three squads currently appearing in the top 10 in their respective national rankings.

In addition to the Fighting Irish men’s basketball team’s placement (also eighth in the newest ESPN/USA Today coaches’ poll), the Notre Dame women’s basketball team moved up to No. 8 in Monday’s AP poll, with the new ESPN/USA Today coaches’ poll for the women set to be released Tuesday afternoon. Meanwhile, the Fighting Irish hockey team stands 10th in the nation in the latest USA Today and USCHO.com polls.

This week marks the first time since Dec. 9, 2002, that both Fighting Irish basketball teams are ranked in the top 10 of their respective AP polls at the same time. Notre Dame is one of only three schools in the country to have both basketball teams currently in the AP Top 10, along with Connecticut (No. 2 women/No. 6 men) and Duke (No. 3 women/No. 5 men).

Add in the hockey program, and for the first time in school history, Notre Dame has both of its basketball teams and its hockey squad ranked in the top 10 in the nation.

The Fighting Irish women’s basketball team returns to action at 7 p.m. (ET) Tuesday against Syracuse at Purcell Pavilion, with the game to be webcast live and free of charge at UND.com. The Notre Dame men’s basketball team next travels to DePaul on Thursday for a 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT game that will be televised live on ESPN. The Fighting Irish hockey team is off this week and next will skate on Friday-Saturday, Feb. 11-12, when it plays host to Bowling Green in a Central Collegiate Hockey Association series at the Joyce Center (7:35 p.m. ET Friday; 7:05 p.m. ET Saturday – both live on UND.com).

— ND —