Notre Dame suspends men’s swimming program over betting scandal

Field Level Media|published: Thu 15th August, 15:42 2024

Nov 7, 2020; South Bend, Indiana, USA; An end zone pylon has the Notre Dame and ACC logos in at Notre Dame Stadium before the game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Clemson Tigers. Notre Dame is playing in the ACC in the 2020 season. Notre Dame defeated Clemson 47-40 in two overtimes. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

Notre Dame suspended its men's swimming program for at least one academic year Thursday after an external review discovered a widespread culture of swimmers betting on their own performances.

Notre Dame hired the law firm Ropes & Gray LLP to conduct a review of the men's swimming program following reports of misconduct.

"The external review confirmed and expanded on our initial concerns about a deeply embedded team culture dismissive of Notre Dame's standards for student-athletes, including our expectation that they treat one another with dignity and respect," Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua said in a statement.

"This independent, external review also documented numerous violations of NCAA rules prohibiting gambling on intercollegiate swimming and other athletic competitions despite clear and recurrent training provided to all our student-athletes by our Athletics Compliance staff about those rules. These findings are contrary to the University's values and all that we stand for in Notre Dame Athletics."

Gambling companies do not produce betting lines on college swimming, but according to a report from Sports Illustrated, the men's team "effectively created its own sports book for the purpose of wagering on their swimming performances."

Notre Dame said that "individual conduct varied," and there could still be further consequences for individual swimmers who participated in the makeshift gambling ring.

Incoming freshmen and other athletes who wish to transfer as a result of the team's suspension will be able to do so, Sports Illustrated reported, though the fall semester at Notre Dame begins in less than two weeks.

The women's swimming team and Notre Dame's diving teams were not impacted by the decision. Notre Dame swimming and diving coach Chris Lindauer and his staff won't be disciplined after participating with the external investigation.

"The review found that the staff was not aware of gambling or the scope and extent of other troubling behaviors because team members effectively concealed such behaviors from the coaches and staff through concerted efforts," Bevacqua said. "According to the review, when the staff became aware of certain isolated incidents of unacceptable conduct, they treated them seriously and professionally."

--Field Level Media