The Notre Dame men’s swimming team has been suspended for at least the academic year after an outside investigation confirmed “initial concerns” about gambling and culture, athletic director Pete Bevacqua announced Thursday.
“These findings are counter to the values of our university and the ideals that Notre Dame athletics espouses,” Bevacqua said in a statement. “In order to end this behavior and rebuild a culture of dignity, respect and exemplary behavior, we have made the decision to suspend the men’s swimming team for at least one academic year. While individual actions vary, a full suspension is essential given the overwhelming cultural dynamics across the team.”
It was not disclosed whether the women’s swimming team or the men’s and women’s diving teams were involved in the scheme. Head coach Chris Lindauer and other coaches were not disciplined.
The NCAA does not permit any athletes to bet on college sports or provide any information that may influence bets.
Notre Dame said an external investigation “documented numerous violations, despite our athletic compliance staff providing clear and repeated training to all student-athletes about NCAA rules prohibiting betting on intercollegiate swimming and other athletic competitions.”
While the men’s swimmers will be allowed to transfer to other schools before next season, any disciplinary action taken by the NCAA will be applied to other programs, and swimmers who remain at Notre Dame could face disciplinary action from the school.
The suspension came on the heels of Notre Dame’s first ever top-10 finish in men’s swimming at the NCAA Championships in March. The school also sent its first men’s swimmer to the Olympics, Chris Juliano, who is not believed to have gambled on races, according to SI.
“As we stated at the outset of our review, we take seriously our obligation to foster a community of student-athletes who not only compete and perform at the highest levels academically and athletically, but whose behavior reflects the values of the university,” Bevacqua said. “We hope this decision sends a clear and unequivocal message that reaffirms that commitment and expectation.”
