The men's and women's rugby teams at Notre Dame College have found a new home at Walsh University, the university announced Tuesday.
Notre Dame, a private college in South Euclid, announced in late February that it would be closing due to ongoing financial struggles.
Walsh, a private college in North Canton, doesn't currently have a rugby team but said in a news release it's set out space to build a rugby pitch to accommodate the teams. According to the release, more than 55 members of the rugby teams have applied to the university - 42 members of the men's team and 16 members of the women's team. Jason Fox, head coach of Notre Dame's rugby program, said the entire program is moving to Walsh University, including alumni, who will play alumni games at Walsh.
"Our kids are excited to be able to do this, and Walsh has accepted them with open arms," he said, noting the university sent a bus up to bring the students down for a visit.
The Notre Dame men's rugby team won the national championship last year in division 1 of National Collegiate Rugby. Both the men and women's teams play in division 1 in the Rugby East Conference, "considered by many as the top collegiate rugby conference in the country," the release reads.
Notre Dame announced in late February that it had secured agreements with other colleges and universities, including Walsh, to accept many of its roughly 1,400 students and transfer their credits to those other institutions.
Clearing debt
In other news about Notre Dame College, a group of concerned alumni sent a news release Monday that a group of "dedicated benefactors" would be willing to negotiate on behalf of the college to deal with its debt with Bank of America, but thus far, hasn't gotten a positive response from the college's board of trustees. The college has previously said its debt was one of the major factors leading to its closure.
"This group is prepared to engage in discussions that could potentially restructure the existing loan, offering a viable path to financial stability for the college," the concerned alumni group said. "This matter is of immediate concern, as the college's board is scheduled to convene this coming Tuesday. Despite the undeniable urgency of the situation, previous attempts to secure such authorization have been met with denial. The upcoming meeting represents a pivotal moment—potentially the last opportunity to alter the course of events and safeguard the college's future."
