Irish-Purdue contest cancelled following attacks on New York and Washington D.C.
Andrew Soukup
Associate Sports Editor
In light of Tuesday's terrorist attacks, Notre Dame and Purdue have cancelled Saturday's scheduled football game, administrators from both schools announced yesterday.
The game is rescheduled for Dec. 1.
The decision to cancel Saturday's game resulted from a recommended moratorium on all Big East conference sports that Notre Dame chose to honor despite the independent status of the football program, Notre Dame athletic director Kevin White said.
"We believe the horrific developments Tuesday warrant a national period of bereavement and a moratorium as far as athletics are concerned," he said. "Consistent with the Big East decision not to compete in any sports, we have postponed all athletic events through the weekend."
White was in regular contact with Purdue athletic director Morgan Burke Wednesday, and said the two reached a mutual decision.
"I think what's transpired here is the right thing," White said. "I think the whole country is in a pretty significant period ... and that's not lost on the students. I think it's a good time to pull the plug and shut it down."
Notre Dame head coach Bob Davie was not involved in the decision-making process and was not informed of the cancellation until the end of yesterday's practice, just minutes before the decision was publicly announced at a Purdue press conference.
"I think this is the right decision," he said. "I was hoping this decision would be made."
When Davie went out to the practice field in mid-afternoon, he said he believed the game would still be played. Players and coaches both said they felt a sense of urgency to make the necessary preparations for Saturday's game, especially since the Irish did not practice Tuesday and the Boilermakers did.
"I sensed a different atmosphere with our players at practice," he said. "Everyone was going out to practice watching CNN. There were an awful lot of distractions. I didn't have a really good feeling at all, with the emotional state of our football team and or the emotional state of our coaches heading into this contest."
"This is hard — maybe more for some than others to focus mentally," safety Ron Israel said. "It's hard enough after a loss like the one against Nebraska, and this whole disaster. To come out to practice and try to get ready for a game, the whole atmosphere is different."
Notre Dame players supported the cancellation.
"As players and coaches, we would have definitely loved to play, but during a time of such tragedy and hurt, the game was so small," co-captain Grant Irons said. "This is so much bigger than any football, any sport and any athletic event. I applaud this decision. This is a good move, especially in respect to all the families who are affected by this."
"I think it was the right decision," added co-captain Anthony Weaver. "There's a lot more important things going on right now. It puts things in perspective ... It's hard for us to be out there, to be honest."
Davie said he did not know of any players who were immediately affected by the tragedy, but several Notre Dame players who are from the East Coast have felt the effects of the terrorist attacks.
"Things are going crazy where I live back home [in New Jersey]," quarterback Matt LoVecchio said. "I don't think we're really getting the whole feel of it out here in the Midwest."
"I was scared, I was angry, I had all these feeling inside," said Weaver. "I didn't know how to react. I just know when I saw it, I called my family to make sure al my loved ones are all right."
All Sports Stories for Thursday, September 13, 2001
