Notre Dame exits Big East

A fifth member of the Big East has bolted to another conference.

Notre Dame, a school notorious for its determination to remain independent in football, has announced that it will leave the Big East for the Atlantic Coast Conference in all sports except football.

The move, which is not likely to take place until the 2014 season, is historic in that the ACC allowed an exception to their all or nothing rule, which prevented schools from joining the conference for only certain sports.

However, Notre Dame will play five ACC games each football season.

This is truly a historic moment for the Atlantic Coast Conference, ACC
commissioner John Swofford said in a press conference Wednesday morning.

Notre Dame is one of five teams to depart the conference, along with Pittsburgh, Syracuse, West Virginia and Texas Christian University to leave the Big East. They will join Pittsburgh and Syracuse as ACC additions while West Virginia and TCU left for the Big 12.

This is a resilient conference, newly named Big East commisioner Mike Aresco told Associated Press, We lose Notre Dame in basketball, but we remain top to bottom the strongest basketball conference in the country.

Woolard gets contract extension In the midst of a growing athletic department, USF athletic director Doug Woolard has signed a three-year
contract extension with the university.

The extension, which lasts until 2015, will make Woolards base salary $559,250.13 per year. The offer letter presented by USF President Judy Genshaft also includes incentives for the performances of the schools various teams. Woolards bonuses will match the bonuses of each teams coach based on their success.

Since joining the university in 2004, Woolard has hired baseball coach Lelo Prado, mens basketball coach Stan Heath, football coach Skip Holtz, volleyball coach Courtney Draper and mens tennis coach Matt Hill.

Woolard has also helped build the new practice facilities for basketball and football, and new stadiums for soccer, baseball and softball, along with the renovations of the USF Sun Dome.