I agree with Marianne that ND shouldn't have to sacrifice it's Catholic identity to be one of the best universities. In fact, it's that Catholic identity coupled with a universally recognized academic excellence that makes Note Dame unique among the major universities in the US. If it were to lose that identity, it would become just "one among many" of the fine universities in this country. It cannot hope to compete financially with Harvard or Princeton, or even the University of Texas to pay the highest salaries to get "the best" faculty. Being an excellent Catholic university will continue to set ND apart from the pack.