NCAA games brings together former rivals Purdue-Notre Dame

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) It took the NCAA Tournament to bring Purdue and Notre Dame, once a heated rivalry, together on the playing court for the first time in

Tom Coyne | Mar 18, 2017

NCAA games brings together former rivals Purdue-Notre Dame /

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) It took the NCAA Tournament to bring Purdue and Notre Dame, once a heated rivalry, together on the playing court for the first time in four seasons.

The two teams will play on Sunday with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Purdue coach Sharon Versyp blames the changing landscape of college athletics and trouble agreeing on playing dates as the reasons the schools 150 miles apart in northern Indiana haven't played since the 2012-13 season. Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw blames Purdue.

Versyp said Notre Dame wanted to play at West Lafayette during the week and wanted to play the games in South Bend on a Sunday.

She said Notre Dame moving from the Big East to the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Big Ten expanding to 14 teams also were factors, along with an annual Big Ten-ACC Challenge game.

Published Mar 18, 2017

TOM COYNE

Tom Coyne, a regular contributor to The Golfer’s Journal, is the author of four books: “A Gentleman’s Game,” "Paper Tiger,” “A Course Called Ireland” and “A Course Called Scotland.” His latest project, “A Course Called America,” is expected to be published in 2021. Coyne is an associate professor of English at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. He lives with his wife and two daughters in Devon, Pa. He can be reached at www.tomcoyne.com