The first round game is expected to be at 5:15 pm ET at Arlotta Stadium on ESPNU/ESPN3.

This will be the 5th time that the Fighting Irish have earned 1 of the 8 national seeds for the NCAA Championship. The #4 seed matches the highest-seed-ever for ND. Last year, they were seeded 4th as well (ND lost in the quarterfinals to Duke).

The Irish and the Bulldogs will be playing each other for the 2nd time in history. The first time was in 1983, when the Irish lost 17-5.

The first round match-ups will be the following:

#1 Loyola vs Canisius

#2 Johns Hopkins vs Stony Brook

#3 Duke vs Syracuse

#4 Notre Dame vs Yale

#5 Virginia vs Princeton

#6 Massachusetts vs Colgate

#7 Lehigh vs Maryland

#8 North Carolina vs Denver

The winner of the Virginia-Princeton game will play the winner of Notre Dame- Yale. If Notre Dame wins, they will play home to either team, because the Irish are ranked higher than UVA and un-seeded Canisius.

For the printable bracket, click here. (PDF)

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Apr. 21, 2012; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Everett Golson (1) hands off to running back George Atkinson III (4) in the first quarter of the Blue-Gold Game at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-US PRESSWIRE

#1 Everett Golson- I feel he is the most electric player on the team. He can make plays and throw the ball. yes he is a high risk player, but that’s the type of player I want as our leader. I believe he takes chances that most quarterbacks don’t. I’m not saying I want him to throw into triple coverage, but on 3rd and short, I want to see him run for it. If he uses his athleticism to his advantage, watch out everyone.

#2 Anrew Hendrix- He has some experience, but Hendrix lacks the edge that I want to see. I respect his play and I wouldn’t be upset to see him start. Hendrix fits into Brian Kelly’s offense very well. At 6 ft. 2 in. and 220 lbs, Hendrix is an athlete. However, when I’ve seen him play, I don’t like the decisions he makes at times. His running game is spectacular, but his throwing brings him down.

Nov. 16, 2011; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward Tim Abromaitis (right) watches during a timeout in the first half against the Sam Houston St. Bearkats at the Purcell Pavilion. Abromaitis is serving a four game suspension for violating NCAA rules by playing in two exhibition games as a sophomore. Notre Dame won 74-41. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-US PRESSWIRE

Abromaitis tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee on November 25 of last season and never returned to the team. He played in just 2 games in the 2011-12 season, averaging 14 points and 7 rebounds per game.

The star Irish player was red-shirted his sophomore year.

Tim was expected to be a vital part of this Notre Dame team, but his early departure caused him to be a leader on the bench. He was still at most games and was a great role model for the underclassmen on this team.

Scott Martin has also applied for a 6th year but he hasn’t received any decision from the NCAA. After transferring from Purdue his freshman year, Martin sat out his sophomore year. Then, early in his junior year, Scott tore his ACL in his left knee during in a preseason workout, which caused him to miss his entire junior season. These reasons make people believe Martin has a better chance of coming back for a 6th year.

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