Notre Dame’s DuBose Sits, Waits While NCAA Ponders Eligibility

Lou Holtz, Notre Dame football coach, has relegated star linebacker Demetrius DuBose, facing an NCAA ruling on his eligibility, to a minor role as the Irish prepare for Saturday’s season opener against Northwestern.

DuBose, a senior All-American candidate, has played a limited role in Notre Dame’s practices since the middle of last week and did not participate in the Irish’s scrimmage Friday, school spokesman John Heisler said Monday.

Heisler said that Holtz simply wants to be prepared for the possibility that DuBose won’t be able to play Saturday against the Wildcats at Soldier Field in Chicago.

“Neither (Athletic Director) Dick Rosenthal nor anybody else can tell Lou that Demetrius will play,” Heisler said. “Lou’s just trying to stay up to date on this.”

Notre Dame announced Aug. 20 that it had declared DuBose ineligible, pending a ruling by the NCAA eligibility staff.

That announcement was made after The Times had reported that the NCAA was looking into the circumstances surrounding a large cash loan and gifts to DuBose, a former Seattle high school star, by a Seattle couple with ties to Notre Dame.

The NCAA also is checking an automobile loan with unusual terms that DuBose obtained from a Seattle bank.

Janet Justus, NCAA director of eligibility, would not comment on the matter Monday except to say that she expected a decision before Saturday’s game.