Notre Dame has suspended its men’s swim team for at least one academic year due to internal gaming violations, the university announced in a statement. statement Thursday. Notre Dame is imposing the punishment as a result of numerous NCAA violations related to sports betting, according to the university.
Although the statement did not clarify the exact nature of the violations, Sports Illustrated According to Sports Illustrated, the team has set up its own sportsbook to place bets on its own swimming performances. Most of the student-athletes returning for the upcoming season are believed to have already placed bets.
In the statement, Notre Dame vice president and athletic director Pete Bevacqua said an outside investigation revealed a “deeply entrenched team culture that disregards Notre Dame’s standards for student-athletes.”
“While individual conduct varied, the overwhelming cultural dynamics within the team necessitate a full suspension,” Bevacqua said in the statement.
According to Sports Illustrated, the team was informed of the punishment on Thursday, giving student-athletes (including incoming freshmen) time to transfer before classes begin on Aug. 27.
“We deeply regret that the small number of team members who did not engage in the conduct, and those who were planning to join the team this fall, will also suffer the consequences of this decision,” Bevacqua continued: “While we are certainly disappointed by the actions that led to this decision, we recognize that our students make mistakes and our goal is to educate and support them as best we can.”
The women’s swimming and diving and men’s diving programs had no involvement and will not be affected by the punishment. In the statement, Bevacqua also clarified that coaches and staff were unaware of the betting and “other problematic behavior” and that they cooperated fully with the investigation.
As gambling is increasingly becoming an issue on college campuses, the NCAA has established strict playing rules for student athletes, which were Updated last summerUnder current NCAA rules, athletes who bet on their own team or their own schools (in any sport) can face “permanent loss of collegiate eligibility in all sports.”
According to Sports Illustrated, some of Notre Dame’s swimmers bet on other sports and other schools; while this still violates NCAA rules, it will carry a lesser punishment than inside bets. The punishment for betting on professional sports or other sports/schools unrelated to the athlete is based on the accumulated value and increases in severity as the value increases.