Despite reports that said Southeast Raleigh High LB Kendall Moore had cut his list to three schools, he said this morning that his finalist list is at six, including four ACC schools.

Moore, who plans to announce his choice a week from Saturday, said the remaining schools in contention are Duke, N.C. State, South Carolina, Florida State, Maryland and Notre Dame. He visited the Irish last weekend.

Despite reports that said Southeast Raleigh High LB Kendall Moore had cut his list to three schools, he said this morning that his finalist list is at six, including four ACC schools.

Moore, who plans to announce his choice a week from Saturday, said the remaining schools in contention are Duke, N.C. State, South Carolina, Florida State, Maryland and Notre Dame. He visited the Irish last weekend.

Speaking at Notre Dame's commencement Sunday, President Barack Obama faced a controversy head-on, urging students to keep an open mind when grappling with the issue of abortion.

That's the issue that caused such a furor in the days and weeks leading up to Obama's appearance Sunday at Notre Dame, a Catholic university with a huge base of alums who disagree with the president's views on abortion rights.

He spoke to a crowd estimated at 12,000 in South Bend, at one point acknowledging that it isn't realistic to expect everyone to come to agrement on such a controversial and emotional issue.

Here's a transcript of his remarks.

The American Association of University Professors has decreed that universities ought not tuck tail in the face of public outcry and rescind invitations to folks they've invited to speak.

The AAUP cites a handful of recent examples, perhaps most notably Notre Dame's snaring of President Barack Obama as its commencement speaker. The Obama invitation has bothered some within Notre Dame's catholic community due to Obama's support for stem cell research and views on abortion.

The rescinding of an invitation amounts, according to the AAUP, to an "infringement on academic freedom."

Here's the AAUP's statement. It does not mention UNC Chapel Hill specifically, but cites Desmond Tutu, who is giving commencement speeches at Michigan State and UNC-CH this spring.

The Anti-Defamation League has a problem with the Tutu selection.

It's a custom at Notre Dame to invite new presidents to speak at commencement.

This year, President Barack Obama accepted the invite, and not all Golden Domers are pleased. 

Many supporters of the Catholic university are bothered by Obama's recent decision to renew federal funding for embryonic stem cell research as well as his stances on other issues.

Here are the details.

Without question, the most complicated item on the college football postseason buffet this season is the Gator Bowl, which will be played Jan. 1 at 1 p.m. in the Jacksonville (Fla.) Municipal Stadium.

On one end of the pairing will be a school from the ACC, which could be almost anyone except Duke, N.C. State, Clemson and Virginia.

On the other side probably will be Notre Dame, but that’s assuming the Irish (6-4 after Saturday’s narrow win over Navy) can beat either USC (no) or Syracuse (yes) in their two games of theregular season.

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CHAPEL HILL — North Carolina capitalized on four second-half turnovers Saturday afternoon for a program-building, 29-24 win over Notre Dame at Kenan Stadium.

On the first play of the third quarter, linebacker Quan Sturdivant returned an interception of Jimmy Clausen 32 yards for a touchdown to cut an eight-point, halftime deficit to 17-16.

Aleric Mullins stripped Clausen and recovered at the Notre Dame 42 to set up another touchdown. Deunta Williams' interception with 4:50 remaining in the fourth quarter clinched the win for the 22nd-ranked Tar Heels (5-1).

The Notre Dame players are coming. The gold helmets are coming. The ghosts of football lore are coming. Limping Charlie Weis is coming. Old Blood ‘n Guts Coach D, defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta, is coming.

But here’s the bummer, and it’s a big one. The Notre Dame marching band, the oldest in all the land, will not make the trip to North Carolina for Saturday’s game.