June 20, 2006

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – University of Notre Dame director of athletics Kevin White has been selected as the 2005-06 GeneralSports TURF Systems Division I-A Central Region Athletic Director of the Year, it was announced Monday afternoon by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA). White will receive his award Wednesday afternoon (June 21) during the annual NACDA Convention at the James J. Corbett Awards Luncheon, which will be held at the Sheraton Hotel in New Orleans.

Now completing his sixth year at the University, White has presided over the most successful period in the history of athletics at Notre Dame. The 2005-06 campaign took that growth to new heights, as Irish teams experienced nearly unprecedented success across the board. On the fields of competition, Notre Dame won a school and conference-record 13 BIG EAST Championships and also set a school record with 44 All-Americans. Irish teams and/or student-athletes qualified for postseason competition in 24 sports, with nine squads achieving top-10 rankings and 16 finishing among the national top 25 at season’s end. Four teams placed among the top four at their respective NCAA championships (men’s cross country, men’s/women’s fencing and women’s lacrosse) while six Irish sports achieved top-10 NCAA finishes.

In White’s first five years, Notre Dame has recorded five consecutive top-20 showings in the NACDA Directors’ Cup (formerly sponsored by Sears) all-sports ratings, accounting for its best five-year run in that competition. The Irish are poised to break into the top 10 in the Cup standings this year, as they were ranked fourth on June 1 and still have points to be counted for their NCAA performances in baseball, softball and men’s golf, as well as potential scoring for men’s and women’s outdoor track & field. The final standings will be announced June 29, with Notre Dame’s best-ever finish being three 11th-place placements (1993-94, 1995-96 and 2000-01) — with the most recent 11th-place finish coming in White’s first full year with the Irish.

Notre Dame’s success on the field this year was matched by its performance in the classroom. Nine Irish student-athletes already have been named ESPN The Magazine Academic All-Americans (with the track/cross country winners to be announced this week) while more than 72 percent of all Notre Dame student-athletes compiled grade-point averages of 3.0 or better in each of past two semesters. Every one of Notre Dame’s teams (24 in the fall, 22 in the spring with track/cross country combined) posted GPAs of 3.0 or better in both the fall 2005 and spring 2006 semesters. Notre Dame athletics also compiled the highest combined GPA in recorded school history (3.226) during the 2005 fall term and nearly matched that mark with a 3.224 GPA in the 2006 spring semester.

White has served on numerous NCAA committees throughout his career, including the NCAA Council (formerly the association’s highest governing body), along with his present roles as president of the Division I-A Athletic Directors’ Association and second vice president of NACDA.

— ND —