HOOPS: Third Men’s Basketball Exhibition Added For Hurricane Relief
Per Notre Dame:
Irish will take on Holy Cross College Friday, October 20 at 7 p.m. ET in Purcell Pavilion.
NOTRE DAME, Indiana -- The University of Notre Dame men’s basketball team has added a third exhibition game to the 2017-18 schedule and will take on Holy Cross College on Friday, October 20, at 7 p.m. ET in Purcell Pavilion.
The exhibition game addition follows through on an idea formulated by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) in an effort to support relief efforts after a series of hurricanes have affected Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands over the past three months.
The NCAA approved a waiver for Friday’s exhibition addition with all proceeds from the event going to hurricane relief. Notre Dame will be focusing its aid on the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) program which seeks to sustain, strengthen and transform Catholic schools since its founding in 1993.
The event will be a non-ticketed exhibition and will be free to enter with further details of how donations will be gathered and accepted to be announced later this week.
Proceeds from Friday’s exhibition will be earmarked for St. Catherine of Siena, a Catholic elementary and middle school in Port Arthur, Texas. The school suffered extensive damage because of Hurricane Harvey with repairs needed to the HVAC system, roof and gym floor.
“As soon as the NABC discussed this opportunity, I knew it was something that we needed to do,” Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey said.
“The recent weather events across the country have put a lot of people in need and our ability to lend aid with an extra exhibition game is a win-win for everyone involved. Our players will get an opportunity to compete against a different team as we get ready for the challenging season ahead. Holy Cross College will get to experience a game in Purcell Pavilion. Our fans who will be in town for a big athletics weekend will get a chance to see us compete.
“Most importantly, we will be able to help our ACE program and one of its parishes recover from (Hurricane) Harvey.”
Holy Cross College is located across the street from the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana. Founded in 1966, it is governed by the Brothers of the Holy Cross, a community of lay religious men within the Congregation of Holy Cross (CSC). Holy Cross is a Catholic co-ed, residential college that competes at the NAIA level in men’s and women’s basketball, golf, tennis and soccer.
“Our exhibition with Notre Dame is impactful on a number of levels for our program, college and most importantly the people involved with hurricane relief,” Holy Cross head men’s basketball coach Mike McBride said.
“The game will create a lifelong memory for our players and it will highlight the close relationship between the University of Notre Dame and Holy Cross College. Paramount to all of that is the good it will do through the ACE program.”
Holy Cross completed the 2016-17 season with a 14-17 overall record and finished 10-11 in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference. There are four Indiana natives on the Saints roster, including junior Nate Miller (Granger, Indiana) and senior Ja’Mare Washington (South Bend, Indiana), who are both from the Notre Dame, Indiana, area.
The Notre Dame - Holy Cross exhibition is just one of several athletic events on Notre Dame’s campus this weekend. On Friday, men’s soccer will take on Duke while the hockey team faces Sacred Heart. Also on Friday evening at 6:00 p.m. ET, the Notre Dame Football Pep Rally for the Southern Cal game will be held on the Hesburgh Memorial Library Quadrangle.
Several lucky fans will have a chance to win $10,000 in cash during halftime of Friday's game. Fans can enter for an opportunity to participate in the Pick-A-Spot shot promotion at the marketing tables located at the main entrance and Gate 10 of Purcell Pavilion beginning one hour prior to tip.