Evening star., 1950-12-09

Dame situation. For example,
there is a strong rumor moving
from the Atlantic to the Pacific
that, in a quiet way, Notre Danes
ruling people have decided to
move away from all-winning sea-
sons by reducing footballs i'm
portance.
This would mean a reduction in
athletic scholarships and also a
higher standard of student eligi-
bility. I have heard this rumor
from many sources close to Notre
Dame.
There is also a report from
many quarters that next fall
Notre Dame will be loaded again.
In attempting to investigate this
situation I found, from an inside
source, that of the "A leading
Catholic high school candidates,
Notre Dame got only three men
this last fall. Usually the number
would be eight or 10 of the best.
Says Sophomore Group Is Thin.
One man quite close to Notre
Dame affairs gave me this state
ment-"I can tell you that Notre
Danes sophomore group next fall
will be extremely thin. The team
will have a few good men. but
not many. The days of Luiack.
Sitko, Hart, Ratterman. Connor,
Creighton Miller, Williams, Ber-
telli, etc, are distinctly over for
the time being, at least. AS fine
coach as every one knows Leahy to
be, can't see the possibility of any
winning Notre Dame team next
fall. Notre Dame will win some
games. But. she may lose more
than she wins.
"The battle for good football
players has become so intense
today that only those colleges who
get into the alumni fight, with
money to spend, can hope to have
the winning leaders. Notre Dame
has certainly had her share of
football stars in the past. But
she didn't have them this fall and
she won't have them next year."
Notre Dame Has More Spirit.
Any fellow who plays football
must have his share of spirit.
Otherwise he wouldn't play foot
ball. But it has seemed to me
through the years, from the days
of Rockne and Gipp, that Notre
Dame had little bit more of
this commodity than any other
college I ever knew.
This meant that football meant
more to Notre Dame. a little more
anyway, than it meant to the
others. The best school players
wanted to go to Notre Dame.
There would be more than 500
football players on various class
and hall teams. Knute Rockne
had a lot to do with Notre Danes
leaning in this direction for the
unforgettable Rock had as much
color as any man has ever known.
With one or two off years, Notre
Dame has been strong from 1913
through 1949-a matter of SO
seasons. Army can testify to this.
The average Notre Dame season
has been eight victories and one
or two defeats.
Schedule no Lighter.
Notre Danes schedule isn't
getting any lighter. South Bend
now is moving into the Southwest
against such power teams as
Texas, Oklahoma and Southern
Methodist. 1t takes a lot of gooc
material to match stuff with
these outfits.
Notre Dame is a fine all-aroune
university, ably handled. outside
of her football teams. But fol
all of that, lot of color would gt
out of sport if Notre Dame be.
came just another average foot
ball spot. And the sporting sid'
also would lose lot in the way O.
exceptional spirit.
But the fact remains tina
modern college football in tot
many cases is so nearly profes
sional that many leading colleg'
presidents believe it will tumble
without even being pushed in tn
next few years.
North American Newspaper Alonee