Notre Dame announced a one-year suspension for its men’s swimming team Thursday after an external review found chronic violations of NCAA gambling rules and issues with the team’s “culture.”
“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,” athletic director Pete Bevacqua said in a statement. “We hope this decision sends a clear and unequivocal message reaffirming that commitment and expectation.”
The team made an internal sportsbook to bet on their own races, according to Sports Illustrated, with much of the betting coming on team-created over/under lines. The major sportsbooks generally do not offer odds on college swimming. Most of the team that would’ve returned for the upcoming season is believed to have participated, SI reported.
The culture issues referenced in Notre Dame’s announcement come from messages sent in a group text chat, and there isn’t any evidence of physical abuse among the swimmers, according to SI.
NCAA rules say that wagers above $800 should lead to a suspension of 30% of the season, but that the NCAA can levy bigger punishments for wagers that “greatly exceed” $800.
Notre Dame announced the review in late June with the law firm Ropes & Gray. Bevacqua said the suspension will last for “at least” one academic year.
“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. According to the review, when the staff became aware of certain isolated incidents of unacceptable conduct, they treated them seriously and professionally,” Bevacqua said.
This is the latest scandal for the program that looked like it had finally broken away from drama this season, earning a top-10 finish in the NCAA championships and sending a swimmer to the Olympics. Mike Litzinger, the coach of both the men’s and women’s programs, resigned in 2021 after he was accused in a lawsuit of gender discrimination against a female assistant.
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