Dec. 21, 2000

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame intends to add additional athletic grants-in-aid over the next four years so that all 26 varsity programs will receive the full NCAA complement of scholarships, by as early as the academic year 2004-05.

Sports benefiting from the additional scholarships include baseball, men’s and women’s fencing, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s lacrosse, women’s rowing, men’s soccer, men’s swimming, and men’s and women’s cross country/track and field.

“We are establishing the attainment of full NCAA scholarship allotments for each of our 26 sports as a top priority,” said Notre Dame director of athletics Kevin White.

“To achieve our stated departmental and University mission of providing a high-quality intercollegiate athletics experience for the most academically and athletically gifted individuals available, it’s imperative that our programs have access to the full complement of athletic-related financial aid.”

Funding for next year’s additional scholarships recently was approved by the University’s officers, and will be submitted to the Board of Trustees in February. The new grants-in-aid were rated as the number-one athletic department priority. Funding for subsequent years will depend upon raising additional revenues to cover the added scholarships.

Resources to achieve these objectives will come from new University revenue. All revenue from the 2001 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl — as with past postseason football games — will be allocated to the general scholarship fund to create financial assistance for the student populace at large.

“Fully scholarshipping all our programs will help us realize our goals over the next five or six years of pushing Notre Dame’s athletic program toward a top finish in the annual Sears Directors’ Cup standings,” said White.

“This eventually will put all of our programs in position to compete for national championships.

“We will be providing significantly more opportunities for women’s and Olympic sports as a result of these additions. We also will be strengthening our gender equity numbers as we look forward to going through the NCAA certification process again next year.”

The Sears Directors’ Cup standings involve annual all-sports competition among Division I-A institutions. Since the Sears Cup ratings began, Notre Dame has finished 11th in 1993-94, 30th in ’94-’95, 11th in ’95-’96, 14th in ’96-’97, tied for 31st in ’97-’98, 25th in ’98-’99 and 21st in ’99-’00. Notre Dame stands 12th in the most recent rankings for 2000-01, based on NCAA appearances in women’s soccer and men’s cross country.

Approximately 64 new scholarships (36 for women’s sports, 28 for men’s sports) are expected to be allocated over the short term. Notre Dame in 2000-01 is awarding 256 grants — 98 for women’s sports and 158 for men’s sports, including 85 for football.

The largest number of scholarships will go to two programs currently without grants-in-aid — 20 to women’s rowing and 12.6 to men’s lacrosse. In addition, 7.9 will go to men’s swimming and six to women’s cross country/track and field.

Notre Dame sports already offering the full complement of scholarships, as per NCAA limitations, include women’s basketball (15), women’s soccer (12), softball (12), women’s swimming (14), women’s tennis (8) and volleyball (12), as well as men’s basketball (13), football (85), hockey (18) and men’s tennis (4.5).