The Notre Dame men’s swimming program has been suspended for at least one academic year after an external investigation confirmed “initial concerns” regarding gambling and culture, Athletic Director Pete Bevacqua announced Thursday.
“These findings are contrary to the University’s values and all that we stand for in Notre Dame athletics,” Bevacqua said in a statement. “In order to ensure that this behavior ends and to rebuild a culture of dignity, respect, and exemplary conduct, we have decided to suspend the men’s swimming program for at least one academic year. While individual conduct varied, the overwhelming cultural dynamic on the team necessitates a full suspension.”
The women’s swimming team and men’s and women’s diving teams were not revealed to be part of the operation. Head coach Chris Lindauer and the rest of the coaching staff were not disciplined.
The NCAA does not allow any athlete to gamble on college sports or provide any information that could influence a bet.
Notre Dame said the external review “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.”
Though the men’s swimmers will be allowed to transfer to other schools ahead of the upcoming season, any discipline they receive from the NCAA will follow them to another program. Swimmers who remain at Notre Dame may also face punishment from the school.
The suspension comes on the heels of Notre Dame’s first top-10 finish in men’s swimming history at the NCAA championships in March. The program also sent its first male swimmer, Chris Guiliano, to the Olympics, though he is not believed to have gambled on races, according to SI.
“As stated at the launch of the review, we take seriously our obligation to foster a community of student-athletes who not only compete and perform at the highest level academically and athletically, but whose conduct reflects the University’s values,” Bevacqua said. “We hope this decision sends a clear and unequivocal message reaffirming that commitment and expectation.”
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