NEWS » he tension is going to grow with them,

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Jack Swarbrick almost didnt get the chance to interview at Notre Dame.The Rev. John Jenkins, the university president, thought the school needed an experienced athletic director because the position is complicated by its independence in football, its contract with NBC and its status in college athletics. He also was worried the schools iconic football program was struggling. He didnt think a sports law attorney who helped Indianapolis win a chance to host the Super Bowl was worth a serious look.But during the search for a new AD following the surprise departure of Kevin White to Duke, the name of Swarbrick, a 1976 Notre Dame grad like Jenkins, kept coming up. So Jenkins had dinner with him.I remember going into that meeting with skepticism and ending that conversation with enthusiasm that this would be a great athletic director for Notre Dame, Jenkins said.Eight years later, Jenkins says he doesnt believe he could have made a better choice. He is effusive in praise for Swarbrick, the third-longest serving AD in school history behind Moose Krause (1949-81) and Knute Rockne (1920-30).I will say he is peerless in understanding the landscape in all dimensions -- thinking ahead and thinking in a creative, strategic ways about how to move ahead. Thats served Notre Dame particularly well, Jenkins said.Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner John Swofford describes Swarbrick as highly respected in college athletics.He doesnt necessarily say a whole lot, Swofford said. Yet I think when he does speak its extremely well-reasoned and value-based and in many ways a voice of experience.Swarbrick talked at his introductory news conference about massive changes coming for athletics, and the need to navigate the reshaping of conferences and any reformation of the BCS. Those words look prescient.As the old Big East fell apart, he found a way to keep Notre Dame football independent -- a priority for school officials and alumni. While schools scrambled to get into Power Five conferences, he landed the Fighting Irish in the ACC and gained valuable bowl tie-ins. He also made sure the university had a spot on the College Football Playoff board.The Stanford law school grad also ended Notre Dames 17-year relationship with adidas in 2014, signing a 10-year deal with Under Armor worth a reported $90 million. He also came up with an idea that grew into a $400 million construction project that is adding three academic and student life buildings around Notre Dame Stadium , as well as 3,000 seats to the stadium. Despite the protest of some alumni, he approved artificial turf in the revered stadium that next season also will have a video board.Swarbrick said while he anticipated some of the changes, he didnt foresee the evolving relationships between universities and its athletes. He points to the NCAA last year allowing cost of attendance stipends to help with the actual costs and the plan this year to look at the amount of time athletes spend on sports.He sees those changes as positives, saying universities must students interest in mind. But he worries some want to change the relationship too much, to an employer-employee status. He said thats something Notre Dame would never accept. He believes many other schools have the same view.You may wind up with two different approaches to it. But I believe most of the universities we view as our peer institutions in a host of ways share our view, he said.He is concerned about the growing financial divide among college athletic departments that are self-sufficient and those that are subsidized by their universities.The tension is going to grow with them, he said.Swarbrick also worries that mens basketball is becoming overexposed with the number of games on television.College basketball is a phenomenal game, but we present so much of it. Its on all the time that the individual contests start to lose their value, he said. It shifts all the interest to the postseason.Hes also in favor of starting the basketball season in mid-December to make it a one semester sport and at looking at changing how conferences schedule non-revenue sports to cut down on travel by playing schools that are geographically closer.Critics of Swarbrick will point out that the Irish havent won a national championship in football during his tenure, with the last title coming in 1988. Swarbrick said while he wants to see Notre Dame win a national championship in football as well as in every other sport, his main concern is making sure students and coaches have the resources to compete at that level.Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly describes Swarbrick as a supportive boss who attends practice regularly and understands the challenges he faces.Because he has to eventually be my advocate, whether it be running interference or helping me achieve the goals to keep moving the program forward, he takes the time to do that. He doesnt do that from his office, he said. And then he can articulate that to our administration, our trustees, and that is sometimes hard to do.Kelly said Swarbrick takes a collaborative approach.He doesnt have to be the lead singer. He doesnt have to say this is MY program, he said. Were doing this together. Were here to win together. He never comes around with the sense of, `Im your boss. Hes, `Were here to do this together. What do we need to do? Its disarming from my perspective and allows me to tell him what I think and not feel like Im talking to my boss.Swarbrick, who is 62, said he doesnt think about how long he will continue.Part of me thinks what probably happens is you wake up and you know thats it, he said. So theres no plan. Ray Ban China .ca! Hi Kerry, Its another day and here we are looking at another dubious hit to the head. In this case Blue Jackets forward Brandon Dubinsky elbowed Saku Koivu in the head about a second after he dished off the puck to a teammate, knocking him unconscious. Discount Ray Ban . The giant slalom world champion slipped during her first run in the morning, landing on her back and then twisting forward before getting her leg caught in the protective material on the side of the slope. http://www.salerayban.com/cheap-ray-ban-aviator-sunglasses-73i.html .J. -- New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz will miss the rest of the season after having surgery on his left knee. Wholesale RB Sunglasses .Y. -- Bills receiver Stevie Johnson has a bone to pick with the NFL schedule maker. Wholesale Ray Ban Store . -- Matt Kuchar and Harris English ran away with the Franklin Templeton Shootout, shooting a 14-under 58 on Sunday in the final-round scramble to break the tournament course record. Washington got everyones attention last week with a lopsided win over then-No. 7 Stanford.The fifth-ranked Huskies were able to clear that very sizable hurdle in the Pac-12 North, but now comes more tall timber. Yes, Oregon is struggling, but Washington has lost 12 consecutive games in this Northwest rivalry -- and only one of those defeats was closer than 17 points.That came last season when Oregon won 26-20 in Seattle.It is on, Washington defensive end Joe Mathis said of facing Oregon. We have to get some work in and get ready.The programs are headed in very opposite directions as they prepare to meet in Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET.The Huskies (5-0 overall, 2-0 Pac-12) are coming off a 44-6 victory over Stanford and are ranked in the top 10 for the fifth consecutive week, their longest such stretch since a nine-week stint during the 2000 season. The Ducks (2-3, 0-2) have lost three consecutive games and will be trying to avoid their first four-game losing streak since the end of the 2006 season.Washingtons defense, filled with projected future pros such as safety Budda Baker, cornerback Sidney Jones and linebacker Azeem Victor, leads the Pac-12 by allowing 12.8 points per game. The Huskies are second in total defense, yielding 299.2 yards per game.Washington managed to subdue Heisman Trophy candidate Christian McCaffrey last week, holding him to only 47 yards on 12 carries. Stanford managed only 29 yards on 30 carries, including eight sacks. Outside linebacker Psalm Wooching had three sacks and forced a fumble, earning Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week honors.Meanwhile, Washingtons offensive line didnt allow a sack to Stanford.When those stats are like that, they can kind of be a little misleading in terms of sometimes things just start to happen and then they snowball and you get a couple extra ones and stuff, said Washington third-year coach Chris Petersen.But we were really pleased with how hard and how effective our lines played. They protected Jake (Browning) well and we were able to run the ball. On the other side, we really squeezed the pocket. I think anytime your lines play at a really high level, youve got a good chance to win.Browning, a sophomore, ranks second nattionally in passing efficiency with a rating of 196.dddddddddddd3. Against Stanford last week, he completed 15 of 21 pass attempts for 210 yards, with three touchdowns and no interceptions.He will be taking aim at a struggling Oregon defense. The Ducks allowed an average of 43 points in losses to Nebraska, Colorado and Washington State. The Cougars had 651 yards of total offense in a 51-33 win over the Ducks on Saturday.I think everybody has to dig it out and compete at the end of the day, said Oregon junior linebacker A.J. Hotchkins.Getting 50 put up on us is not a good thing, but we cant put that on anyone but ourselves. At the end of the day, we need to compete every play, not just when you want to or just in the second or third quarter. It has to be the whole game.Oregons run defense continues to get worse. In the past three weeks, Nebraska ran for 228 yards, Colorado had 260 on the ground and WSU finished at 280, its most in a conference game since 2005.You look them in the eye to make sure we still have their hearts and minds, which we do and we will, said Oregon coach Mark Helfrich. Then you move forward.The Ducks have scored at least 32 points in every game this season, so the offense should provide a challenge for the Husky defense.Running back Royce Freeman had 138 yards and three touchdowns against Washington State to pass Kenjon Barner and move into second place in school history with 3,664 rushing yards. Freeman has rushed for 307 yards in two previous meetings with Washington.Hes as good as there is in the country, without question, Petersen said. He backs it up every week.Oregon senior quarterback Dakota Prukop threw for just 132 yards against the Cougars and was intercepted once. Freshman Justin Herbert came in and threw for 70 yards in the fourth quarter. Helfrich said Monday that Prukop would remain his starter for this weeks big game, although he wasnt as committed to that on Tuesday.I mean, were still competing, Helfrich was quoted as saying by The Oregonian. Were still competing.Multiple media outlets reported that Herbert will be the starter against the Huskies. ' ' '