Notre Dame

WSBT's Pete Byrne is in Dayton, Ohio following Notre Dame and IU. Here's the latest NCAA Tournament news::

Notre Dame is movin' on up! The Fighting Irish are inching closer to a possible college football national championship game berth. Right now, ND is the odd man out, but with lots of football still left to be played, Notre Dame still has a good shot at earning a top 2 spot and playing in the national title tilt. With previously #1 Alabama's stunning 29-24 home loss to Texas A&M on Saturday, Notre Dame has climbed past the Crimson Tide into the No. 3 position in this week's Associated Press poll released Sunday afternoon.

Notre Dame is celebrating 170 years this fall, a storied history with many big moments. All this week, we're traveling down that timeline.   Monday, we took you back to 1972, the year women were accepted to Notre Dame for the first time. Today, WSBT's Colleen Ferreira takes you back further - to 1879, the year the main building on campus caught fire.

Click the links in the related content box to read what Notre Dame and Purdue coaches and players (and their opponents) had to say about their upcoming matchups in the NCAA Tournament, during Saturday's sessions with the media.

Troy Niklas, a 6-foot-7, 240-pound lineman, is Irish. Coach Brian Kelly announced that Niklas, who visited Notre Dame last weekend, had sent his letter of intent in from California. The Anaheim Servite High School athlete is a a versatile player, Kelly said Wednesday on Und.com. "He gives us another great player," Kelly said. "He can play a number of positions. Right now his profile puts him on defense. " Niklas was chosen as the L.A. Times lineman of the year.

South Bend Washington football standout David Perkins is set to announce his college choice on Tuesday. A source close to Perkins tells WSBT that choice will be Notre Dame. Perkins has scheduled an 11:20 a.m. news conference Tuesday to announce his decision. Washington coach Antwon Jones said Perkins' final five schools are Syracuse, Mississippi State, Iowa, Tennessee and Notre Dame. At 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, Perkins is looked upon as a multi-position prospect. He plays both running back and linebacker for Washington.

Excise continues its increased patrols at college football tailgates around the state. Officers arrested 14 people tailgating at Notre Dame on Saturday for illegal consumption or possession - including three 17-year-olds. Police say it's part of their effort to crackdown on underage drinking. They arrested 37 people on 53 charges at Indiana State in Terre Haute.

Notre Dame plays Xavier at 9:45 Friday night on WSBT-TV, in the NCAA Tournament.   For many of the Irish starters, this will be their first NCAA tourney experience, but that doesn't concern the team, or head coach Mike Brey.   WSBT's David McCoy is in Greensboro following the team, and explains in his video.  

The Road to the Final Four starts Friday night for the Notre Dame men as they take on Iowa State in the NCAA Tournament. WSBT Sports Director Pete Byrne is in Dayton, Ohio to cover it, so stay with us online and on WSBT News for the latest.  

SOUTH BEND -- Notre Dame hockey seniors Joe Lavin and Ben Ryan have signed amateur tryout contracts with the farm teams of the organizations that drafted them, Notre Dame spokesman Tim Connor said. Lavin (a Blackhawks draftee) signed with Rockford, and was +1 in his debut Saturday night in Rockford's 3-1 win over Grand Rapids. Ryan (a Predators draft pick) signed with Milwaukee, and notched an assist in the Admirals' 3-1 win over Peoria in his Saturday debut. Both will play again tonight on the final day of the regular season in the AHL.