HC Kelly talks academic issues

[Bodizephax]

Got you 348 ! And remember-- A rising tide raises all ships !! The great Jaylon Smith and Will Fuller will lift the level of the defense and offense respectively !

 

[HarlemIrish]

Stepping back to the OP and big picture, I'm quite disappointed in Kelly's comments on this. Normally, Kelly is so diplomatic in what he says about Notre Dame, and he always paints the University in a good light. Reread some of his weekly quotes on the academic suspensions last season. Never did he say anything that put ND in a bad light. He navigated a minefield.

When I read the ESPN front page headline, I thought perhaps it was taken out of context. I reread the article and quotes twice, and there's no other way to put it. He has hurt the image of Notre Dame.

The money quotes:

• "all of my football players are at-risk"
• "Honestly, I don't know that any of our players would get into the school by themselves right now with the academic standards the way they are. Maybe one or two of our players that are on scholarship."

Look, we all know these are totally true statements. Have you looked at the recent stats for incoming frosh at ND? It's ridiculous! However, he didn't need to say it so blatantly. He gave the media a very juicy soundbite that will come back to haunt us - FOREVER.

He was trying to make a point that I think he could have said in a much more positive way: If you are choosing to play football, at ND you will be a student first, then an athlete. You don't "major" in football. We realize that is difficult, and we have let down some of our players recently. We have made significant changes and are doing everything we can to help our current and future students succeed.

This is actually an advantage! This is a way to separate ourselves from "football factories" in the BCS conferences. Kelly can walk into a living room and tell the recruit and parents that at ND, he will be a student and earn his degree. He'll live with other regular students, eat with them, take classes with them and socialize with them. You are truly a part of a great community. The alternative is really an NFL minor league with minimal class requirements. For god sakes, Johnny Football was enrolled online at A&M and was rarely even on campus other than the football facilities. I think there are quite a few recruits (and many parents) that WANT that. The ones that don't will never make it at ND anyway.

I think they caught Kelly on a bad day or when he wasn't thinking. Unfortunate.

Speaking to older ND alumni. A lot of them stated they would not get in today's Notre Dame. One of them being my Doctor. The school seems to be more in line with an Ivy school. That's fine but fans like myself then have to tamper down our goals on every recruit. Would Tony Rice or Zorich get into ND today? I don't think so.

 

[Pennick4]

I don't blame Kelly for wanting more leeway in recruiting but I don't want ND to go that route. It is the toughest job in college football but that is what he signed up for. He proved in 2012 that you can still win doing it with student athletes.

 

[IrishBlooded]

Except, none of their success came with the 85 scholarship limit. Even Holtz has his best success with 95 scholarships. There is no comparison here of any type much less style of play.

Beat me to it

The biggest difference in the days of Frank, Ara, and even Devine vs today.

There isn't nearly as many players allowed on the team. As Granite points out, even Lou had more players then are allowed today. College football changed. And it continues to evolve every year. Rather ND is ready for it or not.

 

[twalsh]

He either is making an excuse for himself, lobbying the ND powers to change standards (strange to do in public), or saying this to impress the parents of recruits. Odd mixed message.

He's been around ND long enough to know that would not be the way to go about that.