Evening star., 1947-11-12
Irish Encounter
Much Trouble
On Schedules
Some Schools Being
Scared off,; Coach S
Resignation Denied
By ChorIes Chamberlain


SOUTH BEND. Ind. Nov. 12.-
Is Notre Dame becoming a foot
ball Frankenstein, too powerful fol-
it's own good?
1t is no secret that the university
has run into schedule difficulties
and that some schools of the grid
iron class required ipr represen-
tative season are being scared off
The severing of relations with
Army-whether the "a year Ole
rivalry had become dangerously
over emphasized or for off-the-
record reasons involving personali-
ties-shocked many Notre Dame
alumni.
And now, just a few days after
the Irish walloped the Cadets, 27-7
In the series finale, come reports
that Coach Frank Leahy offered
his resignation.
Resignation Denied.
The schools president and vice
president, the Revs. John J. Cav
anaugh and John H. Murphy, re-
spectively, quickly denied Leahy
had proposed to quit, either orally
or in writing. Then Leahy issued
a statement through the Notre
Dame publicity section that he
would consider it great honor
and privilege to remain at Notre
Dame for as long period Of time
as university officials believe I car
be an asset to this institution"
Leahy was unavailable for direct
comment on whether he had offered
to resign or not. Last night he and
his assistants were locked in q
routine conference planning STRAIT
egy for Saturdays game at North
western. His secretary said he had
left instructions not to be disturbed
and added that 73 telephone calls
from throughout the Nation had
been placed for Leahy after the re-
ports of his offering to resign.
Meanwhile, Arch Ward, sports
editor Of the Chicago Tribune, said
Leahy had offered to quit his job
as far back as October, 1916, iii
university executives felt his pres
ence on the athletic staff was det-
rimental to the best interest of the
institution"
Report Started by Scribes.
The report was started yesterday
by Joe Williams of the New York
World Telegram and H. G. Salsinger
Of the Detroit News, who wrote that
Leahy offered to resign because of
|repercussions Of the Army-Irish
break-off.
Williams said Army's farewell was
"only one withdrawal in a long
series from football schedules) and,
as these Withdrawals mounted, the
football set-up at Notre Dame began
to lose stability and no little pres
tige."
Privately, the Army's attitude may
be similar to that held by several
Big Nine schools-that Notre Dame
simply Is too powerful a customer
to handle along with seven or eight
other teams on a. seasons sched-
ule Michigan, Ohio State, Illinois
and Minnesota decided to shun the
Irish and there may develop a COM
plete unanimity in the Big Nine
to cold shoulder the Irish. Several
conference coaches, however, have
gone on record with the comment:
You certainly can't beat 'em I'M
less you play 'em."
Title Chances Minimized
Big Nine schools which have end
ed relations with Notre Dame con-
tend that preparations for the game
and the letdown of an overwhelm-
ing defeat which generally comes,
minimizes their chances of winning
the conference championship
which, after all, is what they are
in business for. Penn, Columbia
and Harvard are three other schools
which declined a chance to face
the Irish.
Leahy's magnificent team has
bowled over Pitt, Purdue, Nebraska
Iowa, Navy and Army thus far and
has Northwestern, Tulane and
Southern California remaining.
Two Big Nine teams, Northwest
ern and Iowa, are on the Irish 194e
schedule, which has not been Off
cially announced. It will list the
start Of at least two new home
and-home series-with Michigan
State and the University of Wash
inpton