What's surprising is how strikingly modernist the Ave Maria design looks. I truly expected something traditional, even if it wasn't as nice as the truly outstanding design offered by the Notre Dame students.
Honestly, if Ave Maria falls down over this, the design of the students ought to be picked up by someone else. It's not only architecturally beautiful, but it's well thought out in terms of function - including the important function of respecting Catholic tradition in a University trying to dedicate itself to that practice.
Apparently Tom Monaghan prefers "modernist" over "traditional." Here is a previous example of his taste in church architecture:
Crux News Thomas Monaghan's previous effort in architectural philanthropy
Caption: "The new cathedral (above), known to some as the Nippledome, is decidely modernist in its realization."