Pat Forde, Sports Illustrated
Notre Dame is suspending its men’s swimming program for a minimum of one academic year after internal and external investigations revealed a widespread gambling issue that violated NCAA rules, and what athletic director Pete Bevacqua termed in a statement, “a deeply embedded team culture dismissive of Notre Dame’s standards for student-athletes.”
The team was informed of the stunning suspension Thursday afternoon, sources tell Sports Illustrated. The timing will enable athletes wishing to transfer—including incoming freshmen—to do so before classes begin at the school Aug. 27. The women’s team and both diving teams are unaffected by the disciplinary action. Head coach Chris Lindauer and his staff were not disciplined, after reviews 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.”
The Notre Dame men’s team effectively created its own sports book for the purpose of wagering on their swimming performances, sources say. A majority of the returning 2024–25 team is believed to have placed bets. “Over/under” lines were established for a swimmer’s times in certain races, with wagers being placed on the outcomes. There are no known gambling companies that take wagers or produce betting lines on college swimming.
In the face of widespread campus gambling issues, the NCAA has modified some of its penalties. But the sanctions are most severe for athletes who gamble on their own sport and own team. According to updated NCAA legislation from June 2023, “student-athletes who engage in activities to influence the outcomes of their own games or knowingly provide information to individuals involved in sports betting activities will potentially face permanent loss of collegiate eligibility in all sports. This would also apply to student-athletes who wager on their own games or on other sports at their own schools.”
Eligibility issues for the Notre Dame swimmers who placed those kinds of wagers would follow them to other schools, should they decide to transfer. Some Fighting Irish swimmers also placed wagers on other sports and involving other schools, sources said, such as the NCAA basketball tournaments. Those wagers would produce lesser sanctions than the internal team gambling.
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